Barley tabbouleh with chickpeas

4
Points®
Total Time
27 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
17 min
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Tabbouleh is a lemony Middle Eastern salad traditionally made with bulgur and lots of chopped fresh parsley, though you can substitute mint or basil if you wish. For a change of pace, we use pearl barley instead. Like white rice and brown rice, pearl barley differs from regular barley in that it has had its outer husk and bran layers removed, which helps it cook faster and gives it a softer texture. This recipe is easily doubled and keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four days—perfect for packing for lunch and a sure-fire way of ensuring you keep on track in the middle of the day.

Ingredients

Vegetable broth

cup(s), reduced-sodium

Uncooked pearl barley

cup(s), quick-cooking

Canned chickpeas

7¾ oz, rinsed and drained

Yellow bell pepper

½ medium, seeded and diced

Grape tomatoes

12 medium, halved

Fresh parsley

cup(s), flat-leaf, finely chopped

Red onion

cup(s), sliced, chopped

Fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp

Olive oil

1 tsp, extra-virgin

Black pepper

tsp, coarsely ground

Reduced fat feta cheese

1 oz, crumbled

Instructions

  1. Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the barley. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the barley is softened, 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer the barley to a large bowl.
  2. Add the chickpeas, bell pepper, tomatoes, parsley, onion, lemon juice, oil, and pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle the salad with the feta cheese and serve while still slightly warm. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days and serve chilled. Yields 1 1/2 cups per serving.