Healthy cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, often the simpler it is, the better it tastes. In Good for You, Test Kitchen editor Rebecca Firkser shares nourishing, craveable recipes that you can pull off in 10 ingredients or fewer.
For those who think fibermaxxing is synonymous with dense bean salads or (have mercy) Metamucil, think again. This lentil-barley salad, while packed with fiber and protein, is actually downright delicious. Perhaps you’re mainly familiar with the grain when paired with beef in soup, but chewy barley is a dream tossed in hearty salads. Along with the lentils, they absorb all the flavor of the caramelized harissa dressing—and, bonus, this salad will last for days without going mushy.
For the most fiber bang for your buck, look for hulled barley, but know it takes longer to cook than its slightly less fibrous counterpart, pearl barley. To save yourself some boiling time, the night before (or morning) you plan to make this salad, cover the hulled barley in a few inches of water in an airtight container and chill, then drain, rinse, and cook as directed.
Read More: The Fiber-Rich Salad I Actually Crave
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes (plus soaking)
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
If using ¾ cup hulled barley, rinse in a mesh sieve under running water. Place in an airtight container and pour in more water to cover by 2"; chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Drain.
If using ¾ cup pearl barley rinse in a mesh sieve under running water.
Step 2
Cook barley in a medium pot of boiling salted water over high heat until tender, 15–30 minutes (hulled may take longer). Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Step 3
Meanwhile, rinse ¾ cup black beluga or French green lentils in mesh sieve under running water and cook in another medium pot of boiling salted water over medium heat until tender, 18–22 minutes. Drain and transfer to bowl with barley.
Step 4
Mix 1½ cups plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl; set aside.
Step 5
Cut fronds from 1 small or ½ large fennel bulb and set aside for serving. Thinly slice bulb and set aside separately.
Step 6
Toast ¼ cup raw shelled sunflower seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a plate; season with salt.
Step 7
Reduce heat to low and mix ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tbsp. harissa, and 1 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest in same skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened and sticky, 2–3 minutes. Stir in 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Pour dressing over barley and lentils and mix to coat. Add reserved fennel bulb and mix again to combine. Taste lentil and barley salad and season with more salt if needed.
Step 8
Spread reserved seasoned yogurt over a platter and spoon lentil and barley salad on top. Drizzle with oil and top with sunflower seeds and reserved fennel fronds.
Step 9
Do Ahead: Lentil and barley salad (without yogurt and toppings) can be made 4 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.
