This kale barley salad has it all: crunchy sunflower seeds, creamy avocado, salty feta cheese, chickpeas and red onions, and is tossed in a tangy honey and lemon vinaigrette. Perfect for a week-day lunch!
I know that it has already been ‘back to school’ for most kids, but it’s about to be ‘back to school’ for me!
Except that my school is more like work. It doesn’t end at 3, that’s for sure. There were often long days, homework and work on week-ends. That’s because I’m doing my PhD.
I am 4 and a half years in {!}, meaning that I am hopefully within a year of finishing. There are definitely things that need to happen in this year, the least of which is writing my thesis {!!} and having my defense {!!!}. Then you have to call me doctor, or I won’t answer you 😉
So yes…It’s time to roll up my sleeves, dust off my brain, and say hi to science again.
Besides saying good-bye to my {somewhat} relaxing morning routine with Kai, I am going to have to start packing a lunch again! And as much as I like peanut butter, PB sandwiches are a bit depressing.
That’s how this kale barley salad was inspired. It is healthy, convenient, packed with goodies. It will keep in your fridge for a few days {minus the avocado} so you can prep up a big batch and eat it for several days.
My favorite part about this kale barley salad {besides the flavor!} is the different textures. Are you a texture eater? I am! This salad has the leafy kale, creamy avocado, crunchy sunflower seeds, smooth, chewy barley. I love all the contrasting textures.
The base of the salad is kale. Maybe you are on the kale bandwagon, maybe not. I have found that the secret to eating raw kale salads is to marinate your kale in the dressing for at least 30 minutes before eating it. It also helps to give it a bit of a massage when you wash it.
I added pearl barley to the salad to give it some ‘staying power’. I hate it when I eat my lunch and am hungry an hour later! Plus I absolutely adore the texture of the pearl barley….so smooth and chewy and slightly nutty in flavor.
To add some protein to this kale barley salad, I threw in some chickpeas, feta and sunflower seeds. We ate this salad for dinner one night and Ben also added some chicken breast, but honestly, I was good with how it is.
Then…the vinaigrette! It is a tangy white wine vinegar, honey and lemon vinaigrette. Super simple, and works perfectly with the kale, feta, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, avocado.
It all comes together as a slightly lemony, sorta tangy, all-round delicious, fresh, healthy, tasty salad.
More kale salads for us!
- this Southwestern Kale Chickpea Salad with Crispy Chickpeas is one creamy dreamy salad
- or how about a simple Winter Balsamic Kale Salad with Havarti Crisps?
- or this Southwestern Kale Avocado Salad with Honey Lime Dressing?
Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette (Video)
This kale salad has it all: nutty barley, crunchy sunflower seeds, creamy avocado, salty feta cheese, chickpeas and red onions, and tossed in a tangy honey and lemon vinaigrette. Perfect for a week-day lunch!
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley {just over 1 cup cooked}
- 4 cups loosely packed kale; washed, stems removed, and cut into small ribbons
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 avocado, cubed {leave out until just before serving}
- 2-3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp honey
Instructions
- Cook pearl barley according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and toss with the kale. Make sure all of kale gets some vinaigrette on it, this helps to remove some of the bitterness of the kale.
- Once barley is cool, toss with the kale/vinaigrette and remaining ingredients {however you should leave out the avocado until directly before serving}
Products used in this recipe:
More Kale Salad Inspiration:
- The Best Shredded Kale Salad from Oh She Glows
- Rainbow Power Kale Salad with Peanut Dijon Vinaigrette from With Salt & Wit
- Southwestern Power Kale Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Avocado Sauce from Cookie + Kate
Congrats on almost being done with your PhD program, Denise! That’s quite an accomplishment! This salad looks incredible! I’m definitely a texture eater, so I love all of the flavors and crunch in here, especially the chickpeas and feta!
Thanks, Gayle! I can’t say no to anything with chickpeas and feta 😉
So impressed you are getting your PhD! Way to go! I can’t imagine how much work that must be. I’m sure you look forward to your lunch breaks a ton. This salad looks delicious! I’m a total texture eater to, so this would be a perfect salad for me.
Thanks, Natalie! I will need all the cheerleaders I can get to get my thesis written and defended LOL. And I’m glad I’m not the only person who is a texture eater 🙂
This salad looks wonderful! I love kale salads for lunch, because they really do stand up over time even when dressed. You’ve created an awesome combination of flavors and textures in this salad!
That is the great thing about kale, isn’t it? It does hold up for a day or two once dressed. Thanks, Kristine 🙂
Hello Denise!
I am so into kale and honey at the moment and this Kale, Barley and Feta Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette looks very yummy for a lunch treat.
Thanks, Anita!
Good luck with your PhD! You are almost done, just a short stretch left.
I’m sure eating this kind of healthy meal will keep your brain active and alert! Love the “moving” picture.
Thanks for the encouragement, Marc! It will be hard to go back after a year of maternity leave, but it will be good to get back to science.
You rock for going back to school! And for making awesome nutrition packed salads like this for students everywhere. That vinaigrette sounds amazing!
You are so kind, Mary Frances! I think I am getting back to school jitters 😉
This is my kind of salad, I love everything about it! I am totally on the kale bandwagon!
And congrats on returning to school! It sounds like you’ve got a lot of work to do, but you can do it! 🙂
Yay for the kale bandwagon! I get why people don’t like it…but when you have a great kale salad it is hard not to love it!
You are so close to getting your PhD, you can do it Denise. Happy back to school time 🙂
I am adding this delicious salad to my rotation for lunch. Love it
Thanks, Kathy! Can’t believe how fast my mat leave flew by!
I love a salad that has EVERYTHING. Perfect “brain food”, if you ask me ;). I am so impressed that you’re working on your PhD. You’re almost there. Good luck on your last year!!!
Ha ha, my brain is going to need all the ‘brain food’ it can get! Thanks so much, Kathi!
This salad sounds and looks amazing, Denise! 😀
Thanks, Jess!
Happy back to school! I adore this salad. Perfect for lunches, and a great bridge between summer and fall.
Thanks, Erin! We seem to have skipped fall and gone straight to winter 🙁
So glad I stumbled across this recipe right in time for lunch. This is the perfect ‘everyday’ salad.
Each component is super versatile too! Out of sesame seeds? Use green pepitas! No time to cook barley? Just heat up some frozen pre-cooked brown rice or quinoa! There are endless combos to prevent salad burnout. Thanks for posting!
PS – how’d you create the moving pic/GIF?
Exactly, Laura, this is a total ‘clean out the fridge/pantry’ kind of salad 🙂
The GIF I made using this tutorial: http://www.wikihow.com/Create-an-Animated-GIF-in-Adobe-Photoshop-Elements
It ended up being super easy, and now I’m a GIF-addict!
Não estou conseguindo acessar as receitas das saladas??
This is such a great salad! A little bit of everything. 🙂 I never think to use barley… I’ve had half a bag sitting around forever after making a chicken barley chili… this might just be the perfect use for it!
I love barley, I only wish it would cook a little faster. But it tastes really nice cold and in a salad!
I calculated the nutritional info for this salad in case anyone is interested in having it.
(Per serving)
Calories 465
Total Fat. 21 g
Saturated 4.2 g
Polyunsaturated 4.6 g
Monounsaturated 11 g
Cholesterol 11 mg
Sodium 186 mg
Total Carbs. 57 g
Dietary Fiber 15
Sugar 9.6 g
Protein 17 g
Vitamin A 535 mcg
Vitamin C 87 mcg
Calcium 221 mg
Iron 5.5 mg
THanks, Laurie! I’ve been thinking about posting nutritional information for my healthier recipes, but it is so much extra work. Do you have a website or tool you use to do the calculations?
Just made this salad and eating it right now. It is awesomely delicious! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. 🙂
I am SO glad to hear you like the salad! It is one of my favorites 🙂
Made this salad last night using exactly what you specified on recipe. Was SO delicious! Thank you for sharing it and all of your other recipes- I can’t wait to try some more!
Thanks so much, Jessica! This is one of my favorite recipes on the site 🙂 So glad you liked it!
OOPS forgot to rate it a five star!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I found it on Pinterest. I did what you suggested about letting the kale marinate in the dressing. I had to substitute a couple of things because I didn’t have sunflower seeds or feta cheese. I used sliced almonds and queso blanco instead. It was delicious!!
Hi Mireille! I’m so glad you liked the salad. I have found more recently that giving the kale a massage for a minute or so really helps get the bitterness out if you’re in a rush. Thanks for reporting back!
I made this salad for dinner tonight and my husband and I both loved it! I cannot wait for leftovers for lunch tomorrow! The combination of ingredients is just right. 😉
Yay! I am so happy you guys liked the salad, Kristine 🙂 It’s one of my favorites!
This is an awesome salad. I didn’t have any pearl barley and substituted Freekah grain and quinoa which was great. Also added extra couple of TSP of fresh lemon and sprinkle of lemon pepper on my chickpeas and onions to marinate while the kale was marinating and it added extra lemon flavor to the dish. This is a keeper.
I’m SO glad you liked it, Brandy! Thank-you so much for your review 🙂
OMG! You’ve changed my life. No kidding. I DISLIKE kale. I usually sub spinach for most dishes. This meal was amazing! Just delicious and hearty. Thank you!
Wow, what an awesome comment to wake up and read 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the salad! One tip I’ve learned more recently is that ‘massaging’ the kale for a minute or two really helps take out the bitterness. Thanks, Christine!
I grow veggies in my city backyard garden near the kitchen and enjoy layering my meals with fresh goodies such as those used in your recipes. Thank you for sharing! I’m in!
P.S. Stay the course on your Doctorate and best wishes. That is outstanding!
Hi Debra, I finally finished my degree in December! Thanks so much for your warm wishes 🙂 I hope you like this salad, it is one of my most popular recipes.
Hi Denise,
I love the video and beautiful salad you made.
What kind of app did you use to create your video?
I made this last night with kale I got from my garden. It was amazing! Thanks so much for such a good recipe! I did change the dressing slightly since my boyfriend hates vinegar and I forgot I didn’t have honey. I ended up just doing one and a half lemons, the recommended lemon zest, and 3 tbs sugar. Completely forgot to add olive oil. But it was still really good!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Katherine!
Wow…This kale barley salad with feta and a honey-lemon linaigrette is a dream of vegetarians:) I will definitely try it! Thx for sharing, Denis!
Thanks so much, Jill! Hope you enjoy 🙂