Barley Salad with Chicken, Corn, and Scallions

By amybites

409 calories, 13g fat, 2g saturated fat, 16.1g protein, 62.4g carbohydrates, 13.2g fiber

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 2 bunches scallions, trimmed and cut into thirds crosswise, white parts halved lengthwise
• 2 1/2 cups fresh (from about 3 ears) or frozen corn kernels (do not thaw)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 5 ounces baby spinach

Preparation

Step 1

Place chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, season wih salt, and reduce to a bare simmer. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken stand, covered, until cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes more. Using tongs, remove chicken from liquid. When cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-sized pieces.

In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook barley according to package instructions. Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450ºF. Place scallions and corn on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast, stirring halfway through, until tender and golden, about 25 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, barley, scallion mixture, tomatoes, parsley, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 tablespoon lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve spinach with chicken-barley mixture.