Barley Salad with Peas and Asparagus

Fresh peas, sugar snaps, and asparagus imbue this simple grain salad with the essence of spring. Pearled barley takes about 30 to 45 minutes to cook; you can also substitute a quicker-cooking grain, such as quinoa or rice.

• 
  
  1-3/4 cups pearled barley
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


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  1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
  
  


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  1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  


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  2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  
  


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  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  1 cup fresh English peas, blanched (or frozen peas, thawed)
  
  


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  1 cup halved sugar snap peas, steamed until crisp-tender
  
  


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  1 cup cut asparagus (1-inch pieces), steamed until crisp-tender
  
  


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  2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
  
  


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  2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
  
  

Rinse the barley under cold water and drain. Bring 7 cups of water to a boil in a 4-quart pot over high heat. Add 3/4 tsp. salt. Add the barley, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more boiling water as necessary to keep the barley covered, until tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Drain and rinse the barley with cold water to stop the cooking.
 

Transfer the barley to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, and toss lightly to coat. Spread the barley on the baking sheet and cool completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
 

Put the lemon juice in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Whisk in the lemon zest. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and additional lemon juice or olive oil as needed.
 

Put the cooked and cooled barley in a large serving bowl and toss to break up any clumps. Add the peas, sugar snap peas, asparagus, dill, mint, and 1/2 cup vinaigrette and toss. Taste and season as needed with more vinaigrette, salt, pepper, and serve.
 

Root Vegetable & Barley Soup with Bacon

If you store this for more than a day, the barley will absorb some of the liquid and you’ll need to thin it with a little water when you reheat it.

• 
  
  1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  
  


• 
  
  2 medium cloves garlic
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
  
  


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  2 medium red onions, chopped
  
  


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  2 small bay leaves
  
  


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  3/4 tsp. caraway seeds
  
  


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  1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  
  


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  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  2 quarts lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


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  5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
  
  


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  2 medium purple-top turnips, peeled and cut into small dice
  
  


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  2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup pearl barley, picked over, rinsed, and drained
  
  


• 
  
  4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  
  

In small bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and pour the liquid through a fine strainer to remove any grit. Reserve the liquid. Rinse the mushrooms, chop them, and set aside.

Chop the garlic, sprinkle it with 3/4 tsp. salt, and then mash it to a paste with the side of a chef's knife. Set aside.

In a 6-quart (or larger) Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, crumble when cool, and set aside.

Add the onions and 1 tsp. salt to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste, bay leaves, caraway seeds, thyme, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped mushrooms, mushroom liquid, chicken broth, carrots, turnips, potatoes, barley, and 1-1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; skim any foam as necessary. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley and vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and discard the bay leaves. Serve garnished with the bacon.

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Chicken Soup with Barley, Mushrooms, and Greens

A little sherry vinegar adds just the right amount of acid to brighten up this earthy soup.

• 
  
  1-1/2 Tbs. olive oil or canola oil
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups finely chopped onion
  
  


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  2 cups finely chopped celery
  
  


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  Kosher salt
  
  


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  2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  
  


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  3 quarts Homemade Chicken Broth or lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


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  3-1/2 to 4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
  
  


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  3 cups cooked-until-barely-tender barley 
  
  


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  3/4 pound Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  
  


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  4 oz. oyster mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  
  


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  4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  
  


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  1 tsp. to 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
  
  


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  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving (optional)  
  
  

Tip:

If you made the chicken broth yourself, use the meat from that bird;
otherwise you can use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large (at least 8-quart), heavy-duty pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and 1/2 Tbs. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned in places, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are completely tender, 20 to 30 minutes. 

Stir in the reserved shredded chicken, barley, chard, and mushrooms. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all are tender and the flavors meld, 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in 1 tsp. of the vinegar. Taste, and add more vinegar, 1 tsp. at a time, if needed, up to 2 Tbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish each bowl with a 1 Tbs. of the grated cheese, if you like. 

Root Vegetable & Barley Soup with Bacon

If you store this for more than a day, the barley will absorb some of the liquid and you’ll need to thin it with a little water when you reheat it.

• 
  
  1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  
  


• 
  
  2 medium cloves garlic
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise
  
  


• 
  
  2 medium red onions, chopped
  
  


• 
  
  2 small bay leaves
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 tsp. caraway seeds
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  
  


• 
  
  Freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  2 quarts lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


• 
  
  5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
  
  


• 
  
  2 medium purple-top turnips, peeled and cut into small dice
  
  


• 
  
  2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup pearl barley, picked over, rinsed, and drained
  
  


• 
  
  4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  
  

In small bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1 cup boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and pour the liquid through a fine strainer to remove any grit. Reserve the liquid. Rinse the mushrooms, chop them, and set aside.

Chop the garlic, sprinkle it with 3/4 tsp. salt, and then mash it to a paste with the side of a chef's knife. Set aside.

In a 6-quart (or larger) Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, crumble when cool, and set aside.

Add the onions and 1 tsp. salt to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste, bay leaves, caraway seeds, thyme, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped mushrooms, mushroom liquid, chicken broth, carrots, turnips, potatoes, barley, and 1-1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat; skim any foam as necessary. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley and vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and discard the bay leaves. Serve garnished with the bacon.

You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Beef, Barley, and Butternut Squash Stew with Blue Cheese Croutons

Cool nights call for a warming, satisfying stew. Top this one with the salty blue cheese and walnut croutons, breaking them up into the stew as you eat.

• 
  
  1-3/4 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
  
  


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  4-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter (1-1/2 Tbs. softened)
  
  


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  1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  
  


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  2 large leeks (white and light-green parts only), halved and thinly sliced
  
  


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  2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
  


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  2 medium ribs celery, chopped
  
  


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  1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
  
  


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  6 cups lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


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  2/3 cup pearl barley
  
  


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  3 dried bay leaves
  
  


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  1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage
  
  


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  1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  
  


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  1 small butternut squash (about 1-1/2 lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3-1/3 cups)
  
  


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  1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
  


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  1/4 cup half-and-half
  
  


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  3 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
  
  


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  3 Tbs. finely chopped walnuts
  
  


• 
  
  18 (1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices
  
  

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.


Season the beef with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and then toss in a large bowl with 2 Tbs. of the flour. Heat 1 Tbs. of the butter and the oil in a 5-1/2- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook half of the beef until browned on several sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef.


Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in the pot. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until evaporated, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 Tbs. flour and cook for 1 minute.


Whisk in 5 cups of the broth. Stir in the barley, bay leaves, sage, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the beef along with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot snugly with foil and then a tight-fitting lid and braise in the oven until the beef is almost tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the squash and the remaining 1 cup broth. Cover with the foil and lid and continue braising until the beef and squash are very tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove and discard the bay leaves from the stew, and then stir in the parsley and half-and-half. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep hot.


In a small bowl, combine the softened 1-1/2 Tbs. butter with the blue cheese, walnuts, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Spread the mixture evenly onto the baguette slices. Transfer to a baking sheet.


Position a rack about 8 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Broil the croutons until deep golden-brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the stew with the croutons.