Easy Barley Salad w/ Herbs

As was browsing my BFF Martha’s website like I often do when I stumbled upon this salad recipe.I had a bunch of fresh spinach on hand, so I knew I had to try this recipe. You can use pretty much any fresh {or dried} herbs you have on hand too, but basil is pretty much my go to. It was a great choice in this case. The salad turned out awesome. It’s simple to make and also simple to consume an entire bowl without blinking!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pearl barley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots {about 1 medium}
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup roughly chopped spinach
1 tablespoon dried basil

Directions

Bring barley and 3 cups water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, reduce heat and simmer, covered until barley is tender {about 40 minutes}. Drain off excess water if necessary.

While barley is cooking, place shallots in a large bowl, and add in mustard, oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, whisking until combined. Stir in barley, chopped spinach, and herbs and serve immediately. Enjoy!