Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Barley salad, loaded with fresh juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and chopped parsley, is a healthy and satisfying summer salad. Serve it as a side dish or a main course salad. It keeps well so you can make it ahead.
How long it takes: 15 minutes (cook the barley ahead and chill)
Equipment you’ll need: bowl
Servings: makes 8 cups
I’m always on the look-out for main dish salads that keep well because lunch time can be a little chaotic and tends to get squeezed out sometimes. To avoid the lunch crunch, I like to make a big bowlful of salad so I have my lunch already prepped and waiting for me in the fridge. Lentil salad with feta, lemon and parsley or vegan quinoa salad with Brussels sprouts and pepitas are a couple of my favorites because they are filling and can be made ahead.
I love Mediterranean style salads like this chopped Greek salad, Israeli couscous salad, or fattoush salad, with simple vinaigrette dressing and lots of fresh herbs. This barley salad incorporates some of the same elements for a satisfying, healthy lunch or light dinner. It can be served as a hearty side dish with grilled meat, too.
Easy barley salad
Filling and healthy. Your tummy will be satisfied, thanks to fiber-full barley, which is a whole grain. Barley has a nutty flavor and chewy texture (I like Bob’s Red Mill Pearl Barley). Chunky cucumbers and ripe tomatoes are crisp and colorful.
Flavorful. This barley salad has Mediterranean vibes with cucumbers, tomatoes, and parsley, enhanced with a light dressing made from lemon juice and olive oil.
Keeps well. Barley salad will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Pack it into individual-sized containers for grab-and-go lunches. Whether you have young children at home, take a lunch to the office, or just don’t have time to make lunch, you’ll appreciate a healthy filling salad waiting for you in the refrigerator, ready to eat.
Ingredient Notes
- Barley: Cooked barley provides the foundation for this whole grain salad. I usually use pearled barley (or pearl barley) because it’s more widely available and it cooks more quickly than hulled barley. (Pearled barley has been processed to remove most of the hull and bran.) You’ll need one cup of uncooked barley which will make 4 cups of cooked barley. It can be prepared at least a day in advance.
- Tomatoes: Dice up a couple of ripe tomatoes or if they are not available, cherry or grape tomatoes work too. Be sure to cut them in half so they absorb the dressing.
- English Cucumber: This type of cucumber has a tender skin that can be eaten. The dark green skin provides extra nutrients and is more attractive in a salad. Other varieties of cucumbers that don’t have to be peeled such as Persian, salad, hothouse, etc. will work well.
- Red Onion: Any type of sweet onion is fine but I prefer red onion in most salads because it looks attractive and has a crisp texture. To eliminate some of the sharp onion flavor, soak the diced onions in ice water for 10 minutes, draining well before adding them to the salad.
- Fresh Parsley: Flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley) has a more robust flavor and is easier to chop than curly parsley. You’ll need a good handful of it; don’t skimp on the parsley because it adds so much flavor and color.
- Fresh Mint: You’ll love the hint of fresh mint. It’s a subtle undertone that really enhances the salad.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For the most flavorful salad, it’s important to use a good quality olive oil for the vinaigrette dressing. The bonus? Olive oil has many health benefits because it’s high in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice: Look for lemons that feel heavy for their size because they contain plenty of juice. Interesting fact: Lemons that are at room temperature yield more juice.
- Garlic: Start with one small clove, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press. If you’re a garlic lover, feel free to add more. If you prefer a more subtle garlic flavor, substitute a pinch of garlic powder.
- Kosher Salt and Coarsely Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning the vinaigrette.
How To Make Barley Salad
Cook the barley. You can do this a day in advance if you prefer. The barley should be cooked according to package directions; allow it to cool to room temperature before making the salad. To hasten the cooling process, spread the cooked barley on a sheet pan or tray.
Make dressing. In a large mixing bowl that’s large enough to contain the salad, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Combine with barley. Stir in the barley until it’s coated with the dressing. I like to mix the barley and the dressing first before I add the remaining salad ingredients. This gives the barley extra time to absorb the flavor of the dressing.
Add the vegetables. Prep the tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion; add them to the bowl along with the chopped herbs. Combine, stirring lightly, making sure the salad is well-combined.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
How To Store Uncooked Barley
Barley is a whole grain that can be stored in a glass jar or plastic container for up to year. For long term storage and especially in warm weather, store it in the refrigerator or freezer so the oils don’t become rancid. It’s not necessary to thaw it before cooking it. Wondering what to do with extra barley? Try this vegan casserole made with barley, chicken barley soup, or beef barley soup.
Possible Recipe Variations
- Add protein. Add garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or crumbled feta cheese for an extra boost of protein. Chopped roasted almonds, pine nuts, or pepitas add a nice crunch, along with protein and fiber.
- Substitute quinoa. If you’re not a fan of barley or you just happen to have some quinoa in the house, this salad can be made into quinoa salad instead of barley. The bonus? Quinoa is quicker-cooking than barley.
- Add more veggies. You can easily substitute or add veggies to this salad. Try cherry tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes. Bell peppers, radishes, or chopped onions are great options.
Since the barley has to be cooked and cooled before assembling the salad, it’s a real time-saver if you cook the barley ahead of time. Cooked barley can be refrigerated for three to five days or frozen for up to two months.
Store the salad in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator. I like to put it into small containers that can easily be transported for lunches to go.
More Make-Ahead Salads
Barley Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber and Parsley

Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked pearl barley (1 cup dry)
- 2 ripe tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
- 1 English cucumber, diced
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, more as needed
Instructions
- Cook pearl barley according to package directions. Cool at least one hour or overnight.4 cups cooked pearl barley
- In a large bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 small clove garlic, pressed or minced, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, more as needed
- If necessary, use a fork to fluff up barley and separate pieces. Add to bowl with vinaigrette; stir lightly to combine.
- Add tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley, and mint to bowl; fold in to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.2 ripe tomatoes, seeds removed, diced, 1 English cucumber, diced, ⅓ cup diced red onion, ⅓ cup chopped flat leaf parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use (see note).
Notes
- Grain choices: If you prefer, cook hulled barley instead of pearl barley. Hulled barley is whole grain and has a longer cooking time. Follow package directions. If you’re looking for a quicker option, substitute cooked quinoa or couscous.
- Storage: The salad can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container. If you make this salad ahead, you may need to stir in additional dressing because the barley tends to absorb more dressing as it sits. Another option is to reserve half the dressing and stir it in before serving.
- Optional add-ins: crumbled feta cheese, chickpeas (rinsed and drained), toasted almonds, pine nuts, or pepitas.
- Recipe retested and updated 6/2023.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
first encountered salad at a church potluck. googled for a recipe. this was closest. delicious taste combination. now that i’ve read the other comments, i will add some Za’atar to my leftovers.
So glad you liked it!
Great recipe!!! Grandkids loved it and so did i
So glad to hear it! Thanks for faking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Eating this as we speak! I didn’t have Za’atar, but I did end up having to add some more spices in its place in order to avoid a “blah” flavor to it. I used dried thyme, oregano, cumin, and coriander (aka the closest I could get to za’atar with what I had in my cabnet) and it lifted it to a whole new level. Thank you so much!!
That sounds like a perfect mix of spices! I’m glad you liked it!
Delicious!
Thank you so much!
Delicious! I’m making this again soon.
I added some fresh chives as they grow in abundance behind our house!
Chives would be great on this! Glad you liked it. :)
Haha this made me totally laugh out loud in agreement! Definitely starving by the time lunch hits so love that you can make this ahead of time! It looks like the perfect healthy summer salad!
I love full meal salads. I’m with ya, this is great to have in the fridge ready to go.
What a great lunch recipe! This would make a great pack lunch too.
Absolutely! Thanks Laura!