Total time: 1 hr 5 min • Prep: 5 min • Cook: 1 hr • Serves: 6 • Difficulty: Easy

To get the maximum nutritional benefits from barley, reach for hulled barley instead of pearled barley when you're at the supermarket. Barley that's been pearled has had its outer husk removed so it's no longer considered a whole grain. When serving barley as a side dish, we like to bake it, covered, in the oven for more even (and hands-off!) cooking, resulting in chewy but tender, individual grains. No matter how many servings you need, be sure to make the entire batch so you can keep the leftovers in the fridge or freezer for another night.