I made this for a neighborhood potluck we had this weekend and it was a big hit. Even my husband said ‘this salad is really, really good’. He’s never said that about a salad-ever. He is meat and potatoes guy. I guess he’s a corn, beans and barley guy too.

This makes a boat load, like probably 8 to 10 big servings. It holds really well, travels well and tastes fantastic the next day. I would be happy to have the leftovers, if there were any. You can easily halve this recipe if that suits your needs better.

Corn, Bean and Barley Salad

2/3 cup pearl barley
1 pound  green beans trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
2 ears corn
1 large handful of greens. I had kale, you could use chard, arugula, lettuce, or you could leave the greens out.
1/2 cup  olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar I used white wine
3 tablespoons minced red onion or shallots
a few tablespoon minced fresh herbs. I had basil and parsley
1 tablespoon of your favorite mustard
Crumbled or shredded cheese for topping-I didn’t use any this time.

Cook barley in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Drain; cool. Transfer to large bowl.

Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 3 minutes. Don’t drain water, just fish the beans out of the water with a slotted spoon into a colander.  Drain the beans well. Transfer to bowl with barley. Add corn to boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Dry and cut kernels from cob, then add to salad bowl. Coarsely chop washed and dried greens; add to bowl with barley mixture.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in small bowl to blend. Pour enough dressing over barley mixture to coat, I used it all but taste it to see if you like it, and add more if you need to. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese if you are using any.

Have a great week. I’ll see you at pickup.

Mo