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Fresh and Simple

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The ins and outs of simple, hearty salads

Prepare the hearty salad base

Barley and lentils are an excellent hearty salad base to which you can add any number of
delicious toppings.

How to cook barley
Barley is totally underrated, but it's got a delicious nutty flavour, is incredibly budget
friendly, super adaptable, and very healthy and nutritious. There are two main types: hulled
and pearl. Pearl is more processed, and even 'polished' to remove the hard outer layer,
whereas hulled barley is slightly tougher, nuttier, chewier and healthier.

Like with a lot of grains, it's best to give barley a rinse before use to wash away any bitter
powder or dust.Also, as with rice, quinoa and lentils, start off with cool salted water as this
allows for more even cooking. Placing them in boiling water straight away means that the
outside of the grain cooks faster than the inside and can result in them being over-softened
and mushy.

Pearled barley cooks for anywhere between 25 and 30 minutes so keep an eye on it. You’ll
know it’s ready when it becomes a little fluffy around the edges of the grain, but is still
slightly al dente or firm to the bite. Hulled barley can take up to 15 minutes longer to cook
than pearl barley.

A few notes on cooking lentils
Lentils are legumes, and have been around for thousands of years. They range in colour

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