Barley Asparagus Salad

You can use plain red onion in this salad instead of the pickled red onion if you’re in a hurry. But the pickled onion gives this salad an extra tasty zing. Feel free to add other ingredients like chopped fresh herbs and microgreens. Cherry tomatoes might also be nice. Experiment!

2 cups cooked barley*
2 cups cooked, chopped asparagus
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1/2 cup pickled red onion
Optional: 3 slices cooked chopped bacon or 1 cup cooked beans, your choice
Dijon vinaigrette, to taste
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste

Dijon Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon good quality Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
big pinch sugar
salt, to taste

1. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Add the barley, asparagus, celery, red onion, and bacon to a bowl. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette and sprinkle with black pepper. Toss everything to coat evenly. Taste and add more vinaigrette and/salt as needed.

*To cook the barley: Bring 1 cup pearled barley and 3 cups water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool.