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Barley with Winter Greens Pesto Recipe

Barley with Winter Greens Pesto
Difficulty: Medium | Total Time: 1 hr | Active Time: | Makes: 4 servings

Pesto goes way beyond pasta in this healthy dish of barley coated in a vegan pesto sauce.

This recipe was featured as part of our Supercharge with Superfoods photo gallery.

INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups hulled barley
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 3 cups water
  • 6 ounces Swiss chard, washed and tough stems removed
  • 6 ounces mustard greens, washed and tough stems removed
  • 1/2 cup raw almonds, toasted
  • 5 teaspoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 6 tablespoons walnut oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place the barley, measured salt, and water in a medium saucepan with a tightfitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered until the barley is tender but still slightly chewy, about 30 to 45 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
  2. Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the chard and mustard greens and blanch for 1 minute or until wilted and tender. Drain and let cool slightly.
  3. Place the cooled greens, almonds, vinegar, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. With the motor running, add the oil in a steady stream until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, season with salt and pepper, and process until smooth.
  4. Place the reserved barley in a large bowl, add the pesto, and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
    Write a review | 13 Reviews
  • Barley with Winter Greens Pesto Recipe
    4

    pesto just means to ground or crush. I have had all different kinds of pesto, some green, some red, orange...i don't get the gripe about pesto. i thought this dish was great...the sherry vinegar and toasty almond notes shine through...i added a bit more garlic and doubled the chard because i didn't have mustard greens and subbed a high quality olive oil as i didn't have walnut oil. i have made pesto risotto, and it has the exact same look....soft little kernels bathed in a sea of green...i don't see what's unattractive about it. certainly doesn't look any different from pasta with pesto or pesto risotto. plus it's got so many super healthy foods, you feel virtuous eating it, unlike pasta pesto. serving it with a turkey meatloaf. bon appetit!

  • Barley with Winter Greens Pesto Recipe
    1

    Ok. Some folks think that Pesto means green. It doesn't. For 2000 years, it meant basil, garlic, and pine nuts pounded together in olive oil. You folks didn't lose the recipe. You lost your soul.

  • This is a great recipe! Delicious and healthy.

  • So it's green, big deal, get over it. This is very tasty and nutritious. A sophisticated way to eat simple, often-overlooked veggies. "Pesto" glams up the humble mustard green!

  • I'd sub cauliflower for part of the barley to add some textural variety. I think I'd also swap out the walnut oil for a different oil.

  • Looks tasty
    I love Pesto and as long as you know it's pesto I have no problem with the green color.
    Looks healthy and quite good.

  • It taste awesome, sure it doesn't look appealing. Do we have a nutrient value for this? Don't worry, I'd only help myself to one serving. :)

  • I'm thinking this would be good with Nero Kale in place of the chard.

    Sounds very good to me; I love barley and this is another excuse to make it!

  • If the appearance is troublesome, this dish could be improved visually with a red garnish - roasted red peppers, sliced red onions (yucatecan pickled red onion?). Maybe serve it in little red radiccio cups.

    Is this good cold? I love barley.

  • First of all...props to todeinotaton. Just because bears eat raw meat doesn't mean you shouldn't serve a bloody piece of cow (said the vegetarian) and just because horses eat grass doesn't mean you shouldn't serve something green.

    Just made this dish tonight and finished my first bowl. Loved it!

    Things I did differently:

    1. Cooked the barley in vegetable broth for extra flavor and omitted the salt.
    2. Used red wine vinager - worked just fine.
    3. Used cashews instead of almonds - super.
    4. Could not justify buying walnut oil for this dish so I used olive oil and it was still lovely.
    5. Garnished with a little parm. and found it to be the last piece of the puzzle.

    I'm looking forward to trying the rest of it for lunch tomorrow when it has had a chance to sit overnight. Should be even better!

  • I just made this recipe and it is really amazing. I was hesitant because of the addition of the sherry vinegar., (I actually used red wine vinegar b/c I had no sherry vinegar on hand) but the vinegar actually mimics the sharpness of the pecorino (or, whatever cheese one uses in traditional pestos).
    I've made pesto several different ways before, with spinach, basil, walnuts rather than pinenuts, etc. This is a very flavorful hearty dish. A great take on pesto. This is a keeper for me.

  • you're a dumby, ashland. this looks delicious. garnished with a sprig of fresh herbs? maybe some lemon zest and olive oil or truffle oil? freshly grated romano? be creative.

  • sorry, but this looks like the end product of a horse farm...i would never present a dish like this, superfood or not...

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