This kale barley salad is full of whole grain, nutrient-rich ingredients that will nourish your body and fill you up! Easy to prepare, vegetarian, and meal prep-friendly!
We love kale salad loaded up with delicious toppings...from kale caesar salad with garlic chickpeas, to loaded Mexican kale salad, and this kale barley salad!
Loaded up with chickpeas, feta cheese, and avocado, there is so much flavor, and plenty of protein to fill you up in this kale barley salad. This is a meal prep recipe that we've come back to time and time again, as it is so easy, healthy, and delicious.
Not only does this salad make for a light and fresh dinner, but with a few tricks, you can make it into a mason jar salad for lunch prep!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- it’s a nutrient-rich, crunchy kale salad with a tangy honey lemon vinaigrette
- it’s a meatless meal, but still has a good helping of protein
- easy to prep and with modifications can keep well for up to 4 days - making it perfect for jar salads to take on the go
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this kale barley salad. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient Notes
- 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. If making this salad vegan, feel free to sub maple syrup for honey in this dressing!
Step by Step Directions
Cook Barley
Cook pearl barley according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
Prepare Kale
Wash and chop kale. Give it a massage for 1-2 minutes to remove some of the bitterness.
Combine Dressing
Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
Toss Together Salad
Once the barley is cooked and cooled, toss with the kale, vinaigrette, and remaining ingredients. Enjoy!
To Meal Prep Jar Salads
- 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.
FAQ
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.
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.
Sure! You could swap barley for whole grain brown rice, farro, or even quinoa!
Tips for the perfect salad
- massage the 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
- 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. Plan to serve this fresh!
Storage + Meal Prep
- Store - in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- 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; OR layer in jar salads to keep kale + vinaigrette separate.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup pearl barley uncooked; just over 1 cup cooked
- 4 cups kale loosely packed;, stems removed, and cut into small ribbons
- ⅓ 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
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- Cook Barley - Cook pearl barley according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
- Prepare Kale - Wash and chop kale. Give it a massage for 1-2 minutes to remove some of the bitterness.
- Combine Dressing - Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
- Toss Together Salad- Once barley is cool, toss with the kale, vinaigrette and remaining ingredients. Enjoy!
Tips:
- 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.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Jen says
We made this tonight and it was FANTASTIC!!!!! We omitted the avocado and made it with farro instead of barley. This is a perfect summer recipe!
Rainah says
LOVE this recipe!
Poifect for me!
I do use a Ninja, using the tall & wide blending container, with blades spinning more than half way up to chop the kale into small enough bits that my family don't fight so much.
That said, I'm not worried if they are too silly to eat this salad. I can and have at times, eaten it all by myself.
Making today with kidney beans cooked from dried (yes, boiled for an hour before turning them out into a slow cooker).
Mught leave out the barley for just today and serve this with home made flat bread (my pita efforts are not perfect, but I use the oil dough recipe from Artisan Bread in Less than 5 Minutes a Day).
That flat bread and this salad?
Some of my favorite food!
Thanks!
Randi says
Made this for dinner tonight and it came together so fast, was delicious, nutritious and the husband loved it.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Randi, we're so glad that you and your husband loved this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review.
Rebecca says
This recipe looks fantastic! Feta cheese may be a no-no for me. Can I substitute with Parmesan instead?
Christi says
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!
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this, Christi! Thank you so much for reporting back 🙂
Madelene Ghanem says
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!
Denise says
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 🙂
Andrea says
Yum, this was delish! Can't wait to make this for work lunches!
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Andrea! Thanks so much for your review 🙂
Lauren says
LOVE this salad! But I do make it only when the weather is nice. SPRING & SUMMER. I make it at least once a week.
Denise says
Hi Lauren! So happy you love this salad. Thanks so much for your review!
Julia Stearns @ Healthirony says
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!
Tony Payne says
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.
Denise says
This is great with spinach! Hope you enjoy, Tony!
Maura Philipps says
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
Denise says
That sounds great! Hope you enjoyed!
Jeanna Sizemore says
Made this and had some kicking chicken shrimp in olive oil.It was great!
Denise says
Yummy! So happy you enjoyed, Jeanna!
Jill Roberts says
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!
Denise says
Thanks so much, Jill! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Katherine T says
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!
Denise says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Katherine!
Joanna Sigda says
Hi Denise,
I love the video and beautiful salad you made.
What kind of app did you use to create your video?
Debra Brooks says
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!
Denise says
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.
Christine says
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!
Denise says
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!