Arugula and Barley Bowl with Avocados, Almonds and Lemon Tahini Dressing
The holidays are over, which is bittersweet for me. While the past month was a whirlwind of excitement with moving into our new house (yay!), breaking our baby news and having a two year old filled with the wonderment of Christmas, I’m ready to move into the new year!
While they were all delicious, there were too many heavy meals including boat loads of sugar and unhealthy fats. Now we are paying the consequences! Time to clean house and get back to nutrient rich, antioxidant abundant, fresh meals!
I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, 101 cookbooks. This website never fails to provide the most amazing and wholesome recipes! I changed the dressing ingredients for a dairy free alternative. If you want to forgo the gluten, simple substitute brown rice or quinoa for the barley.
I hope you like it 
- For the barley:
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup uncooked barley
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- For the salad:
- 4-6 cups arugula
- 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup grated romano cheese (optional)
- In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add barley, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed and barley is tender. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool. If in a rush to cool barley, spread evenly on a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator.
- For the dressing:
- Whisk together evoo, water, tahini, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice and minced shallot. You can whisk together by hand or in a blender. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Assemble salads with a scoop of cooled cooked barley, arugula, toasted almonds and avocado. Add cheese if desired. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy!
Kid-Friendly Tip: I’m a big proponent of not cooking two meals at night, one for the kids and one for the parents. Being a short order cook and preparing whatever your kids want may lead to poor food choices, and takes up too much time! Noah isn’t into salads (yet!), but he does love avocados and barley. So for this meal I made him a bowl with the barley drizzled with olive oil and sea salt and a side of sliced avocados. Then, I steamed a batch of edamame for protein, which we all shared!