Spiced Pumpkin, Barley & Radicchio Salad
Spiced Pumpkin, Barley and Radicchio salad is a real crowd-pleaser.
Cooking with barley is so easy and adds great taste, texture, and balance to many dishes, none more so than this one. When consumed as a whole grain, barley is a particularly rich source of fiber, manganese, and selenium. It’s certainly one of the Superfoods Superstars, as barley promotes a healthy heart, and flexible joints, increases your energy, contributes to glowing skin, is a brain food, and improves your gut health. Whew! We should be eating this every day!
Whilst the spiced pumpkin appears to take centre stage in this wholesome vegetarian salad recipe it is the other ingredients that propel this salad well beyond your typical spiced pumpkin theme! A quick glance through the ingredients and you will see there is a star studded line-up here; from the pomegranate and pomegranate molasses through to the liquid smoke and crushed walnuts this is a salad that is on another level when it comes to taste and variety.
The Radicchio keeps this dish grounded, it’s tart flavour when combined with the feta cheese and pomegranate seeds is a sensation all on it’s own, but when combined with the other ingredients it takes this salad to places you won’t expect, and it looks great on the plate as well! If you or your friends are vegan, swap out the feta cheese for a vegan option, and this salad is vegan– how versatile!
Take your salads to another level with this Spiced Pumpkin, Barley and Radicchio salad recipe – this is a stunning, vegetarian and very healthy option; it’s easy to put together and will bring complements from all that taste it. It is great all on it’s own and will also make a fantastic accompaniment to meat or fish. Take it on a picnic or pop it into your lunchbox. You’ll be glad you did.
Spiced Pumpkin, Barley and Radicchio Salad
Equipment
- 1 Electronic digital scales
Ingredients
Pumpkin Marinade
- 1 teaspoon Pomegranate Molasses
- ½ teaspoon Good quality Balsamic Vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- ⅛ teaspoon Crushed Chillies add more or less to taste
Salad
- 100 grams Raw Pearl Barley, washed twice, cooked to packet instructions [ 3 1/2 ounces] Barley expands 2.5 times
- 50 grams Green French Lentils, cooked to packet instructions [about 1/4 cup] Lentils will double in weight after cooking
- 300 grams Fresh, diced pumpkin cut into approximately 3cm squares [ an inch and a quarter ] 10 1/2 ounces
- ½ medium red onion, sliced thinly about 65 grams [about 1/3 cup]
- ½ Pomegranate, deseeded
- ½ head Radicchio, washed also known as Trevise. Substitute Red Chicory if you like
- 40-50 grams Crushed Raw Walnuts [3-4 Tablespoons] to taste
- 100 gram Crumbled Feta Cheese [about half a cup]
- Salt & White Pepper to taste
- Fresh Mint - the leaves of 2-3 large stems to taste
Dressing
- 20 ml Pomegranate Molasses 4 teaspoons
- 2 ml Good quality Balsamic Vinegar 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon - to taste
- 10 ml Good quality Olive Oil 2 teaspoons
- 20 ml Organic Cider Vinegar 4 teaspoons
Instructions
Pumpkin Marinade
- Preheat oven to 200C/395F degrees. Gather and weigh your ingredients
- Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl
- Add the diced pumpkin and mix through so the pumpkin is thoroughly coated in the marinade
- Transfer to a shallow baking dish, pouring over any remaining marinade and pop the dish into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. You don't want the pumpkin to over cook and go mushy
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until room temperature
Dressing
- Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl or jug
Assembling the salad
- Remove the large outer leaves of the Radicchio and wash
- Combine the Barley and Lentils in a small bowl and mix. Add salt and white pepper to taste
- Arrange the large outer leaves on the plate. Slice any extra leaves and combine with the Barley & Lentils
- Now layer up! Add some of the Barley/Lentil Mix, then the Red Onion, Pomegranate Seeds, Pumpkin Etc.
- Layer up and top with the crushed walnuts and chiffonade of Mint [Note 1]
- Serve either dressed or with the dressing on the side
