Vegan Potluck Barley Salad is a healthy and satisfying main dish or side dish! Made with fresh vegetables and a light dressing, this salad is great for taking to potlucks, picnics, and barbecues.
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Have you had your first party of the summer yet? It needs a barley salad!
Today we're talking about being vegan at a potluck. If you feel like a Debbie Downer showing up and saying no thank you to all the burgers, hot dogs, and creamy potato salads, this barley salad is here to save the day!
I love how hearty this barley salad is. It's fresh, satisfying, and full goodies like kale, tender white beans, herbs, and a light oil dressing.
When it comes down to it, we're hitting plenty of food groups, textures, and flavors. That's what makes this one of the best grain salads I've tried!
If you're looking to live your best food life this Memorial Day weekend, don't forget about this list of 35 recipes to rock your summer that I put together for you. I'm proud to say I made them ALL (and they're all delicious!).
Ingredients
- Kale
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Pearl barley
- Canned white beans
- Red onion
- Cucumber
- Red wine vinegar
- Fresh parsley
- Dried oregano
- Dried thyme
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make barley salad
- In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil over kale and massage with your hands until completely incorporated.
- Add the cooked barley, white beans, red onion, cucumber, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Top tips
How to cook barley
It all starts off with pearl barley, which I love for it's heartiness. I recommend cooking up a bunch at one time. From there it can be frozen, or used all week in soups, salads, and grain bowls.
You'll do best to follow the instructions on your package of barley, otherwise to make 3 cups of cooked pearl barley you should bring 1 cup pearl barley and 3 cups water to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40-50 minutes.
Best kale for salads
Usually I would recommend baby kale (because I'm a baby) or dinosaur kale for salads. This is one salad where curly kale gets to shine. The curly kale will soften when massaging it, and even more when cooking for just the right texture.
How to store vegan barley salad
Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe because it uses a lot of fresh vegetables.
Tips for customizing barley salad:
- Omit the oil, vinegar, parsley, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes, using your favorite Italian dressing to taste instead
- Substitute your favorite leafy green for the kale such as spinach or arugula
- Add feta, gorgonzola, or shaved parmesan cheese (not vegan)
- Meat eaters can add cooked, diced chicken or shrimp (also not vegan)
FAQ
Yes! Barley is a healthy whole grain that is high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Cook time depends on the type of barley you use. Pearl barley takes 25 to 30 minutes to cook, and hulled barley will take 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook.
Sure! This salad can be made up to three days ahead of time, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
More salad recipes
- Israeli Couscous Salad
- Vegan Orzo Pasta Salad
- Quinoa Salad with Balsamic Tofu
- Caesar Pasta Salad
- Vegetarian Autumn Grain Bowl
- Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl
- Vegan Tofu Bowl
- Pizza Salad
- Winter Salad with Butternut Squash
- Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
- BBQ Chickpea Salad with Cornbread Croutons
- High Protein Vegan Salad with Hummus
- Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Panzanella Salad
- Rainbow Quinoa Salad
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Vegan Potluck Barley Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups kale, stems removed and torn into bite-size pieces
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups cooked pearl barley
- 15 ounces canned white beans, such as cannellini, rinsed and drained
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, cubed
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil over kale and massage with your hands until completely incorporated.
- Add the cooked barley, white beans, red onion, cucumber, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently to combine. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Anna says
This looks great to prep ahead of time and have for lunch throughout the week!
Lindsay Moe says
Totally!
Cheryl says
I love this dish; it has all of the kinds of grains/beans/veggies that I enjoy! The flavorings are just right. For the red wine vinegar, I used Japanese plum vinegar instead.
Lindsay Moe says
I'm so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and share your adaptation! I haven't tried Japanese plum vinegar but it sounds like I should!