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Mediterranean Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale

Mediterranean Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale

The quick-cooking grain barley is high in protein and fiber – and here it’s so satisfying in Mediterranean Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale. And this Caesar dressing: it’s the best we’ve tasted!

Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale Chickpeas | @TspCurry - TeaspoonOfSpice.com

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY Marie’s Market Reserve Dressings. I WAS COMPENSATED FOR MY TIME, BUT I’M A MARIE’S DRESSING FAN FROM WAY BACK!

Where are my barley lovers? Maybe you grew up on beef barley soup, like me? Or maybe you love eating barley in ….

Well, that’s the issue, most of us haven’t eaten barley in too many other dishes. Although, I promise you will after you have it in a Mediterranean-inspired Barley Grain Bowl like this one, especially if it’s smothered in Marie’s Market Reserve Smoked Black Pepper Caesar Dressing. But more on this yummy dressing in a minute.

Let’s talk about why we all should be eating more barley! It’s one of the quickest-cooking grains. Quick-cooking pearled barley cooks in 10 minutes. The trickiest thing about barley is finding it in the supermarket: sometimes it’s in the rice aisle, sometimes in the pasta section, but I find it in the soup aisle next to the broth.

One serving of barley – which is a whopping 1 cup cooked – contains:

  • 5 grams of total fiber
  • 2 grams of soluble fiber – the heart-healthy type 
  • 5 grams of protein

How to make Mediterranean Barley Bowls with Caesar

Now about the rest of this Barley Grain Bowl. We’ve got a new Healthy Kitchen Hack for you>>>

Massage the kale with the Marie’s Market Reserve Smoked Black Pepper Caesar dressing and then let it sit for 10 minutes. The dressing will ‘soften’ the kale making it less tough! 

BARLEY GRAIN BOWLS CAESAR KALE CHICKPEAS | @TspCurry - TeaspoonOfSpice.com

The Smoked Black Pepper Caesar will become your new favorite Caesar dressing. We love how the first ingredient after water is low-fat yogurt – which fits right into the Mediterranean Diet. Also on the dressing label, you’ll see these Mediterranean ingredients: real Parmesan cheese, garlic, mustard seeds, smoked black pepper, and lemon juice plus a few more spices.

Marie’s Market Reserve dressings are made with real premium ingredients and no artificial preservatives. All dressings are carefully crafted and have 60 calories or less per serving.

This week we have three brand new recipes spotlighting the way Marie’s makes Mediterranean eating easy. Yesterday, I posted Lemon Breaded Fish Sticks. And watch for another one tomorrow.

And if you want more Mediterranean-style barley dishes, check out:

Orange Date Barley Salad with Mint

Orange Date Barley Salad with Mint | TeaspoonofSpice.com

Vegetarian French Onion Barley Soup

A yummy vegetarian soup recipe mash-up combining the flavors of French Onion and Vegetable Barley. Recipe at Teaspoonofspice.com

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Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale Chickpeas | @TspCurry - TeaspoonOfSpice.com

Mediterranean Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale


  • Author: Serena Ball, MS, RD
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

Barley is one of the quickest-cooking grains, plus it’s high in protein and fiber – and here it’s so satisfying in Mediterranean Barley Grain Bowls with Caesar Kale.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/3 cup pearled barley
  • 4 cups thinly sliced kale leaves with stems (about 34 large leaves)
  • 1/2 cup Marie’s Market Reserve Smoked Black Pepper Caesar Dressing, divided, plus more for drizzling
  • 45 mini sweet peppers, sliced into rings
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained

 


Instructions

  1. Cook barley according to package directions. Then divide the barley among four bowls. Top each bowl of barley with 1 tablespoon of dressing, stir to combine. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of dressing. Using your hands squeeze and rub the kale to ‘massage’ it into the kale. Let set for at least 5 minutes for the kale to soften and become less-tough.
  3. Divide the kale evenly among the four bowls of barley, placing it in one ‘section’ of the bowl.
  4. Divide the chickpeas, cheese, and mini peppers among the bowls placing them each in a separate ‘section’ of the bowl.
  5. Drizzle the bowls with the remaining 1 tablespoon of dressing, plus more dressing if desired.