Multigrain Salad
Quick answer
- Total time
- 38 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Chewy brown rice, plump barley, and soft lentils give three different bites in every spoonful.
Read more
Each grain is cooked separately and cooled completely before mixing, since hot grains would wilt the vegetables. Instead of olive oil, the dressing uses perilla oil, a toasty Korean seed oil, with apple cider vinegar. Halved cherry tomatoes release juice that works as part of the sauce, while cucumber and red onion add crunch between the dense grains. Made ahead, it keeps its flavor and travels well in a lunchbox.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1
Make sure the cooked brown rice, barley, and lentils are completely cool before mixing.
If any grains still feel warm, spread them on a tray for about 20 minutes so the vegetables stay crisp.
- 2
Cut the cucumber into thin strips and slice the red onion finely.
If the onion smells too sharp, soak it in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well so it does not water down the salad.
- 3
Halve the cherry tomatoes so their juice can help season the bowl.
Add the cooled grains to a large mixing bowl first, then loosen any clumps gently with a spoon before adding the vegetables.
- 4
Add the cucumber, red onion, and cherry tomatoes to the grains.
Toss from the bottom upward with light movements, avoiding heavy pressure so the lentils keep some shape and the salad stays textured.
- 5
Drizzle the apple cider vinegar over the salad first so the acidity coats the grains evenly.
Add the perilla oil at the end, then toss only until it smells nutty and looks glossy.
- 6
Chill the salad for 15 minutes so the dressing settles into the grains.
Before serving, leave it at room temperature for 5 minutes, then fold once more to bring the tomato juices through.
Use-up ingredient planner
Turn these ingredients into two more meals
The overlap excludes basic seasonings. Open the next recipe and your selected dishes will stay with you.
Tofu Salad (Pan-Seared Tofu on Fresh Greens)
Cucumber, Red onion
Quinoa Salad
Cucumber, Red onion
Barley Grain Salad
Cooked barley, Cucumber