Lunch: Herby Barley Salad With Butter-Basted Mushrooms

Recipe by /contributors/chris-morocco Any chewy grain, such as wheat berries, farro, or even brown rice, can replace the barley.

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Barley, Lemon

Health and fertility benefits of Herby Barley Salad With Butter-Basted Mushrooms

Barley is about the best grain a woman with PCOS can eat. It is low in calories and has the lowest GI of all grains. Low-GI grains such as barley take much longer to digest and create a slow, steady rise in blood glucose and insulin levels. As mentioned before on Fertility Chef, low-GI foods reduce cravings. If possible, try and find hulled barley as it is the most nutrient dense of all types of barley. Lemons can help to prevent oxidative damage to the body, which women with PCOS are often susceptible to.

Ingredients

1 cup hulled, hull-less, or pearl barley
Kosher salt
2 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz. mushrooms (such as maitake, chanterelle, and/or oyster), torn or cut into large pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan, shaved, plus more for serving

Instructions

Cook barley in a medium pot of boiling salted water until tender, 50 –60 minutes for hulled or hull-less, 20 –30 minutes for pearl. Drain; spread out on a baking sheet and let cool.
Meanwhile, cook shallots in vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling pan occasionally to keep shallots from burning, until golden brown, 5 –7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towels to drain; season with salt. Let cool. Set shallot cooking oil aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Arrange mushrooms in skillet in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until undersides are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper, toss, and continue to cook, tossing often and reducing heat as needed to avoid scorching, until golden brown all over, about 5 minutes longer.
Reduce heat to medium and add thyme sprigs, garlic, and butter to skillet. Tip skillet toward you so butter pools at edge and use a spoon to baste mushrooms with foaming butter; cook until butter smells nutty. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a small bowl, leaving thyme and garlic behind.
Toss cooled barley, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, 1 1/2 oz. Parmesan, and 2 Tbsp. reserved shallot oil in a large bowl to combine; season with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms; toss again to combine.
Just before serving, top with fried shallots and more shaved Parmesan.

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