Toasted Barley-Vegetable Salad

Prep: 25 min., Cook: 20 min., Stand: 5 min., Chill: 3 hrs. Don't let the long ingredient list deter you from preparing this recipe; many of the ingredients may already be in your pantry or refrigerator. Plus, the salad can be made up to three days ahead.

Yield: Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients

• 1  cup  uncooked quick-cooking barley
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil
• 2  cups  low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
• 1  (16-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2  medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1  medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1  large garlic clove, minced
• 3/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh mint
• 1/2  cup  diced celery
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped red onion
• 1  teaspoon  grated lemon rind
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 1  (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese with basil and tomatoes

Preparation

Sauté barley in hot oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until lightly browned; stir in broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until barley is just tender. Remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Stir together chilled barley, chickpeas, and next 11 ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Add cheese just before serving, and toss gently.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

250 (26% from fat)

Fat:

7.7g (sat 3.5g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

11g

Carbohydrate:

37g

Fiber:

6.6g

Cholesterol:

14mg

Iron:

2.2mg

Sodium:

735mg

Calcium:

110mg