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Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

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This kale barley salad is full of whole grain, nutrient-rich ingredients that will nourish your body. Easy to prepare, vegetarian, and meal prep-friendly!

I’m a sucker for a big kale salad loaded up with delicious toppings…some of my faves include this Kale Caesar Salad with Garlic Chickpeas and this Loaded Mexican Kale Salad. But the one I come back to time and time again is this Kale Barley Salad!

pouring the vinaigrette over kale barley salad

Loaded up with chickpeas, feta cheese and avocado, there is so much flavor, and plenty of protein to fill you up!

Not only does this salad make for a delicious dinner, but with a few tricks, you can make it into a mason jar salad, keeping it fresh for up to 4 days. This means it can be an awesome meal prep lunch option!

Reasons you’ll ♡ kale barley salad

  • it’s a nutrient-rich, crunchy kale salad with fantastic citrus flavour
  • easy to make ahead and it travels well – perfect for healthy lunches
  • it’s a meatless meal, but still has a good helping of protein

Recipe Video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this salad. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don’t forget to pin this post to save it for later!

overhead view of ingredients required for kale and chickpea barley salad

Let’s talk ingredients!

  • Barley- Because of its nutritional benefits, this ancient grain is classified as a superfood! It is high in fibre, and is a good source of potassium, calcium, protein, folate, and B-vitamins. It is important to know that barley is not gluten free. If you need a gluten free substitute, consider whole grain brown or long grain wild rice.
  • Healthy fats and protein- Avocado is a good source of healthy, Omega 3 fatty acids, while chickpeas and feta cheese both bring protein to this lemony kale salad..
  • Kale- Another superfood, kale is crunchy and delicious. It’s a dark, leafy green, packed with antioxidants. It also contains fibre, iron, calcium, and vitamin K. (speaking of crunchy and delicious, you should make some baked kale chips to go with your salad. They make a delicious snack too!)
  • Crunchy components- Sunflower seeds are salty, crunchy, and full of fibre. Red onion has crunch factor, as well as anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants.
  • Citrus vinaigrette dressing- The salad is tossed in a tangy honey and lemon vinaigrette.

overhead view of healthy barley salad in bowl before tossing

How do I make this recipe vegan-friendly?

It is simple to turn this vegetarian salad into one that is completely plant-based. There are just two ingredients that will either need to be left out or substituted; the feta cheese, and the honey.

Is there a vegan substitute for feta cheese?

Fortunately, there are a number of dairy-free cheeses available. A good amount of them are soy-based, and you can even make your own vegan feta cheese. If you want to avoid soy and simply want to replicate the salty flavour of feta, consider adding kalamata olives to this barley salad.

What can be substituted for honey?

Maple syrup is a wonderful vegan substitute for honey. It’s easy to swap because it measures cup for cup to honey. In other words, 1 cup of maple syrup = 1 cup of honey.

What should I serve with kale barley salad?

This salad has fantastic nutritional value, so it’s really delicious on its own. If you would like to serve it with a bit more protein, it pairs perfectly with these dinner options:

kale barley salad in bowl after tossing

Tips for the perfect salad

  • massage your kale– kale can have a tough texture and bitter flavor, but giving it a quick 2-3 minute massage can really help eliminate these two issues
  • meal prep– you can meal prep this salad in a few different ways
    • cook barley, wash + shred kale and prep the vinaigrette up to 4 days ahead to make assembly super quick
    • layer in jar salads to keep kale + vinaigrette separate- keeps fresh for up to 4 days
  • avocado– if you do make this into a jar salad, add the avocado fresh to prevent it from browning
  • leftovers– do not keep very well once tossed in the vinaigrette. I would plan to serve this fresh.

Find my salad dressing shaker, jars and other favorite kitchen equipment in my shop!

kale barley salad in jars for meal prep

More salad recipes

This post was originally published in 2014. It has been updated with fresh photos and tips and a new video in 2019.

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4.92 from 12 votes

Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: kale, meal prep, salad, vegetarian
Calories: 400kcal
Author: Denise Bustard
Servings: 4
This barley salad is full of whole grain, nutrient-rich ingredients that will nourish your body. Easy to prepare, vegetarian, and meal prep-friendly!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1/2 cup pearl barley (uncooked; just over 1 cup cooked)
  • 4 cups kale (loosely packed, stems removed, and cut into small ribbons)
  • 1/3 cup feta (crumbled)
  • 15 oz chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
  • 1 avocado (cubed)
  • 2-3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons red onion (finely diced)

Vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Instructions

  • Cook pearl barley according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
  • Wash and chop kale. Give it a massage for 1-2 minutes to remove some of the bitterness.
  • Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
  • Once barley is cool, toss with the kale, vinaigrette and remaining ingredients.
  • Enjoy!

For a Meal Prep Lunch

  • Divide the vinaigrette between four pint-sized jars.
  • Add in the following order: chickpeas, barley, feta, onions, sunflower seeds, kale.
  • Omit avocado or add fresh.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To serve, shake everything out into a bowl and toss with vinaigrette.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 batch | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 828mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6820IU | Vitamin C: 87.1mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 3.6mg

 

Reader Interactions

About Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

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Comments

  1. Christi

    Wow!! This was amazing!! I’ve never had barley before (at least not that I know of) and it was delicious. Seriously I loved everything about this salad and can’t wait to pass the recipe onto my mom. She will also love it. I have been trying to do a few meatless dinners a week and this one was perfect for that. I ended up splitting everything into 3 servings, instead of 4. I probably had about 5 cups packed kale (1 large bunch) and used all the dressing, but found I could have used a bit less. Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers this week!

    Reply

  2. Madelene Ghanem

    5 stars
    This was delicious! First time trying barley and fresh kale! Very tasty and filling. I’m definetly going to be making it more for my lunch at work!

    Reply

    • Denise

      I’m so happy you enjoyed, Madelene! I don’t eat a lot of barley but love it in this salad! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂

      Reply

  4. Lauren

    LOVE this salad! But I do make it only when the weather is nice. SPRING & SUMMER. I make it at least once a week.

    Reply

  5. Julia Stearns @ Healthirony

    5 stars
    I had a similar kale barley salad with feta and a honey-lemon linaigrette at a restaurant recently and found myself craving it and wondering if I could recreate it today. Thanks, Denis!

    Reply

  6. Tony Payne

    5 stars
    This sounds really good. I was just looking for something else to make to eat at work for lunch.
    Sundays I usually make a salad that lasts Monday and Tuesday, but I never really know what to eat the other three days, and I don’t always want the same salad that I make for the other two.
    I love kale, but haven’t eaten it raw. I saw someone comment about substituting spinach, and that would work as well. I love feta and avocado, and I could eat chick peas every day.
    Will definitely be trying this.

    Reply

  7. Maura Philipps

    5 stars
    Change that Kale to Spinach for us & use vegan feta cheeze & maple syrup instead of honey & we are good to go with this! Yummy! Gonna have this tonight

    Reply

  10. Katherine T

    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!

    Reply

  12. Debra Brooks

    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!

    Reply

    • Denise

      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.

      Reply

  13. Christine

    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!

    Reply

    • Denise

      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!

      Reply

  14. brandy Wismer

    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.

    Reply

  16. Denise

    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!

    Reply

  18. Jessica

    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!

    Reply

  20. Lorri Curto

    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

    Reply

    • Denise

      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?

      Reply

  23. Laura Georgy, MS, RD

    5 stars
    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?

    Reply

  28. Katie

    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! 🙂

    Reply

  30. Anita

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  32. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

    • Denise

      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 🙂

      Reply

  33. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    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!

    Reply

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