Roasted baby carrot, pearl barley, fennel and orange salad
2015-12-26 18:06:50
Serves 6
This recipe was on my Christmas lunch menu. Not being a meat eater I like to try different things for Christmas Day. This particular recipe I had as a side dish and for me it had a wonderful festive feel with the vibrant roasted baby carrots and the sweetness of the oranges.
Prep Time
35 min
Ingredients
- 400g/14oz pearl barley
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 4tbso extra virgin olive oil
- 3 oranges, 2 zested and 1 juiced
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 2tsp clear honey
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 4tbsp red wine vinager
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- Large bunch parsley, chopped
- 85g/3oz kalamata olives
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200C/gas 6. Cook the pearl barley with the stock cube according to pack instructions. It should still have a nutty bite. When the pearl barley is done drain it very well and toss on a platter with 1tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to stop it from sticking together.
- Meanwhike, toss the carrots with the olive oil, orange zest and some seasoning in a roasting tin and roast for 15 minutes. Carefully stir through half the honey and add the fennel. Continue roasting for another 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut the pith and peel away from the 2 zested oranges and cut into chunks or slices.
- Whisk the tensing extra virgin olive oil, 1tsp honey,red wine vinager and the orange juice with some seasoning. Scrape the carrots and fennel plus any cooking juices in top of the pearl barley. Add the orange pieces, red onion,herbs and olives and toss everything together. The salad will happily hold at room temperature for a few hours but if you are making it in advance then add half the dressing then the remaining just before serving. Stir through a bit of extra parsley at the end of you would like.
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