Barley Salad with Honey Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette

Barley has been used as foods for human and animals since ancient civilization, but also to make alcoholic beverages through malting. I remember reading from somewhere that Greek gladiators were fed barley prior to battle. They were hence also known as "eaters of barley". My wise husband thought that's probably because barley was dirt cheap.

As a type of whole-grain, barley has been shown to help in lowering blood cholesterol level, and stabilize blood glucose level, which may benefit diabetic. As a child growing up, I was always told to drink barley water during hot days. It was conceived as good for sore throat and fever. Apparently it has been used for its medicinal properties since ancient times by many cultures. Koreans for one consume barley tea the way Japanese do with green tea.

I made many changes to the recipe that I found; it just didn't taste right. I'm so glad I'm a more "mature" cook now or I would have been so lost. Firstly, something was missing in its vinaigrette recipe - I decided to add Dijon mustard and seasoned with salt and pepper. Instead of boiling barley with vegetable stock, I boiled it with plain water and seasoned with miso paste. I also substituted feta cheese with homemade labneh.

I'm proud to say that after all the changes, it earned me many "Mmmmm", "Wowww", and a "it feels like the right thing for the tummy" from my (one and only) loyal patron.

Ingredients:
(serves 2 as side dish)
1/4 barley
1 TB miso paste
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
Homemade Labneh, crumbled
1/4 C Basil leaves, chopped
1/4 C Green onion, chopped

For the vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak barley in water for at least 1 hour. Drain.
   
2. Bring barley and 4 cups of water to boil, reduce heat and let cook until barley is tender but still firm to bite; about 30 minutes. Drain and stir in miso paste. Let cool completely.
   
3. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and set in refrigerator to chill until ready to use.
4. Mix tomatoes, basil, green onions and labneh into cooked barley. Toss in vinaigrette to coat evenly. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.