Mediterranean Barley Salad

This fresh, crunchy and nutritious Mediterranean Barley Salad is perfect for summertime potlucks, picnics and grab-and-go lunches. With a variety of vegetables and a tangy mustard vinaigrette, you can keep it vegetarian or add chicken for extra protein.

Ingredients
 1 cup pearl barley, uncooked
 1 ½ cups chickpeas
 2 bell peppers, red and/or yellow, chopped
 4 mini cucumbers, sliced
 1 ½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
 ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
 ¼ cup diced red onion
 ¼ cup canola oil
 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
 ¼ cup red wine vinegar
 2 Tbsp lemon juice
 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
 3 garlic cloves, minced
 1 tsp dried oregano
 1 tsp sugar
 ½ tsp salt
 ¼ tsp pepper
 ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Instructions
1

Place the barley in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cool water. Dump into a medium saucepan and cover with 4 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 25 minutes until the barley is tender. Drain, and rinse under cool water. Shake off excess moisture and place in a large bowl.

2

Add the chickpeas, vegetables, feta, and olives to the barley.

3

In a small bowl, whisk together the oils, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over the barley mixture and toss well to combine. Stir in the chopped parsley. Adjust the seasoning, if desired. Garnish with remaining parsley.