Chickpea, Barley, & Feta Salad

By GadgetGirl

Barley has nice heft and chew, but don’t feel limited—use cooked farro, quinoa, or brown rice if you prefer. Makes a wonderful healthy side dish.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces green beans, halved crosswise
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup pearled, hulled, or hull-less barley
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
• 4 ounces feta, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Toasted Spice Vinaigrette
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Using a sieve or a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water.

Return water to a boil, add barley, and simmer until tender (refer to packaging for timing); drain. Let cool on a baking sheet.
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook sunflower seeds, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes; let cool.

Toss green beans, barley, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, feta, dill, lemon juice, and vinaigrette in a large bowl.

Toasted Spice Vinaigrette:
Toast coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let cool, then chop. Whisk with oil, vinegar, and mustard in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

DO AHEAD: Vinaigrette can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and chill.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Calories (kcal) 560 Fat (g) 29 Saturated Fat (g) 6 Cholesterol (mg) 15 Carbohydrates (g) 60 Dietary Fiber (g) 16 Total Sugars (g) 5 Protein (g) 18 Sodium (mg) 760