Roasted Vegetable, Gorgonzola, Pearl Barley Salad

By tschnet1

Notes: Pairs well with grilled chicken

Several hearty or root vegetables stand up well in this recipe. Consider roasted Brussels sprouts as an addition as summer turns to fall. For a lighter dish, omit potatoes.

Grain Substitution: Kamut, Spelt, or Farro can all be swapped easily.

Ingredients

• 1 cup pearl barley
• 4 1/2 cups Campbell's Beef Broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 small beets, quartered
• 2 large fennel bulbs, quartered
• 2 cups fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered
• 4 carrots, cut into crayon-sized sticks
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 5mins
Cooking time 80mins
Adapted from facebook.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring 4 1/2 cups of Campbell's broth to a boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add pearl barley and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 40-50 minutes until soft but not mushy. Drain excess liquid. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Clean the vegetables, remove nubby ends, and prepare in quarters, halves, and matchsticks as listed. Combine carrots and fennel on one baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. On a second baking sheet, combine beets and potatoes and coat with more olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Roast fennel and carrots for 20 minutes, the potatoes and carrots for 40 minutes or until each sheet of vegetables, respectively, is browning at the edges.

In a large serving bowl, combine cooked pearl barely, shallots, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Add roasted vegetables and lightly toss. Sprinkle with parsley and gorgonzola. Toss again briefly. Serve warm.