Egyptian Barley Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
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Inspired by the flavors of Egypt, this gorgeous barley salad is adorned with feta, scallions, pistachios, raisins and pomegranate seeds.
Modestly adapted from The Complete Make-Ahead Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, this Middle Eastern barley salad incorporates crunchy pistachios, tangy pomegranate molasses, earthy spices, and sweet golden raisins. Salty feta, scallions, and juicy pomegranate seeds adorn the top of the dish, making a gorgeous composed salad with lively flavors and textures. It’s a wonderful dish to keep in the fridge for healthy lunches, and it also makes a festive-looking potluck dish for the holidays.
What You’ll Need To Make Egyptian Barley Salad
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the barley. In order for the grains to remain distinct, rather than cohesive as in a pilaf, America’s Test Kitchen uses the “pasta method” to boil the barley.
Drain the barley, then spread it on a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, cumin, and salt. (Note that pomegranate molasses is sold at some large grocers, Whole Foods, or Middle Eastern markets. You can also buy it online.)
Toss with the cooled barley, cilantro, raisins, and pistachios.
Spread the barley salad evenly onto a serving platter and arrange feta, scallions, and pomegranate seeds in diagonal rows on top. Drizzle with extra olive oil and serve.
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Egyptian Barley Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Inspired by the flavors of Egypt, this gorgeous barley salad is adorned with feta, scallions, pistachios, raisins and pomegranate seeds.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups pearl barley (do not substitute hulled barley or hull-less barley)
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 2½ tablespoons pomegranate molasses (see note)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (parsley may be substituted)
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup unsalted shelled pistachios or walnuts, chopped coarse
- 4 oz feta cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced (you'll need 4 to 6 scallions)
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add barley and 1 tablespoon salt, return to boil, and cook until tender, about 45 minutes, or according to package instructions. Drain barley, spread onto rimmed baking sheet, and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Add the barley, cilantro, raisins, and pistachios (or walnuts) and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread barley salad evenly on serving platter and arrange feta, scallions, and pomegranate seeds in separate diagonal rows on top. Drizzle with extra oil and serve.
- Make Ahead: The cooked barley and vinaigrette can be refrigerated separately for up to 3 days. To serve, bring barley and vinaigrette to room temperature, whisk vinaigrette to recombine, and continue with step 3, seasoning to taste as necessary. Dressed salad can be held up to 2 hours at room temperature before serving.
- Note: Pomegranate molasses is sold at some large grocers, Whole Foods or Middle Eastern markets. You can also buy it online.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 326
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Sugar: 15 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 212 mg
- Cholesterol: 13 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This dish was fabulous. I used regular molasses and parsley because I didn’t have cilantro. I took a pic, but no option to post it.
So glad you enjoyed it, Joy! Unfortunately, there’s not a way to upload pictures to the blog, but if you’re on Instagram, you can share it there; be sure to tag me @onceuponachef. 🙂
Are these fresh or dried pomegranate seeds? My grocers says the fresh are out of season. Thank you, planning to serve this to book club Thursday
Hi Jane, They are fresh; you can just leave them out. Enjoy!
I made this salad last night. Delicious! I had been wanting to make it for a while and at the last minute decided to make it last night. I ended up substituting brown rice for the barley and that worked well. I had been to a couple stores and couldn’t find the pomegranate molasses, so this is what I did: I took about a cup of pomegranate juice (POM) and boiled it in a pan until it reduced down and was a bit syrupy. Then I used 2 1/2 tablespoons of that for the dressing. It worked great! I’ll be making this again. Thank you!
Highly recommend this recipe. Not only is it beautiful in presentation but tastes fantastic. The only substitution I made was using farro Instead of barley.
Love this!
I love this recipe. But I have a question, what is the serving size? I am on a restricted diet and I have to quantify all foods. Your help would be greatly appreciated
Thank you,
Sandy
Hi Sandy, I’d guesstimate that each serving would be about a cup. Hope you enjoy!
Another keeper for the files! From prep to presentation to consumption this recipe was wonderful. The dressing was delicious thanks to the pomegranate molasses, an ingredient I was unfamiliar with. I took the lazy way out, and used the 1-click option on Amazon to have a bottle delivered! I’m sure we would enjoy the complex flavors anytime of year, but the brightly colored presentation is especially welcome in winter. Thanks Jenn!
I love many many of your recipes but this is absolutely one of my favourites. The name of the recipe intrigued me and the flavour has kept me coming back. I’ve made this several times, most recently at Christmas for 26. It was an absolute hit. For those in Canada the pomegranate molasses can be found at superstore.
This salad was delicious and looked super festive as well! I had trouble locating pomegranate molasses, but, in the end made my own with the help of an easy recipe on-line.
Funny, I have your scalloped potatoes cooking in the oven as I write this. So pleased I found your site.
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve never used pearl barley before but it was hearty & the flavors of the dressing clung to it beautifully. The various textures were delightful. I usually never eat whole pomegranate seeds, but with the pistachios in the salad their crunch fit right in.
I’m a texture and taste contrast lover–and this one fit the bill. I happen to love barley, too, so I was in heaven.
I used walnuts and regular raisins, but otherwise made it to order.
I think I’m addicted to your recipes. Not enough time nor enough mouths to keep up with all that I want to make. Maybe I’ll get a bigger freezer…
I looked at 5 stores and called a few others. No pom molasses. 🙁