Herb Salad with Edamame and Barley

I don't know about you, but every so often I end up with a ton of herbs in my fridge that I keep meaning to use but for whatever reason I haven't been able to get too. This is especially a problem if I'm also going out of town for a little while and need to use these herbs up before leaving. I absolutely hate throwing herbs away, so I usually come up with some way to use up a big chunk of them all at once.  Some of my favorite quick options for preserving herbs include making pesto with whichever herb(s) I have and then freezing it for later, or even just chopping them up finely, placing them in ice cube trays, covering with water and freezing. Not as good as fresh herbs, but great in a pinch! 

Recently however I was headed out of town and wanted to use up my herbs quickly without having to freeze them, my freezer was a little full and I didn't want to add to it. I decided to make an herb salad, my own little spin on tabbouleh I guess you could say. I kind of eye-balled everything, there is no need to be exact in these situations. Below is my approximate measure of what I used, but you can scale up or down depending on what you have and what you need to use up. Let your imagination go wild!

For the grain in this salad I used hull-less barley from Bob's Red Mill, but you can use whatever whole grain you like; quinoa, brown rice, or wheat berries would all be wonderful. I like the chewiness of the hull-less barley which is very similar to wheat berries, but any whole grain will do. I also added in some shelled edamame that had been floating around my freezer for a while. I figured I mind as well clean something out of the freezer as well as long as I was at it! The edamame was perfect with the fresh herbs and hearty barley. Regardless of the herbs and grain you use you're sure to end up with a fresh and healthy salad that can really clean out that fridge when need be!

Herb Salad with Edamame and Barley
From Delectably Mine
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup hull-less barley
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped fine
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
• 3-4 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 cup shelled edamame
• Your favorite vinaigrette 

Directions
Place barley in a small stockpot. Add water to cover and a pinch of salt. Bring pot to boil, reduce heat to simmer and let cook until barley is tender, 30-40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, chop up your parsley, cilantro and green onions and add to a medium sized bowl. Defrost edamame and add to the bowl of herbs. 

When barley is cooked, drain excess water and add the barley to the bowl as well. Add vinaigrette, a few spoonfuls at a time, tossing between each addition, until the salad is dressed to your liking. Add additional salt or pepper if needed. Eat immediately or let sit for a few hours for the flavors to meld. 
 

Clementine Brown Rice Salad with Edamame and Cranberries

In the winter I can sometimes find it difficult to come up with a good, fresh salad that incorporates seasonal ingredients. It's not like summer when all it takes are a few garden fresh tomatoes and a handful of basal to call it good. But, although it takes a little more thought in the winter, beautiful salads made with in season produce can be done. Take this salad for instance, it uses a lot of things that you may just have stored in your cupboard or freezer; dried cranberries, edamame, brown rice, and slivered almonds. Add to this some fresh, sweet and juicy clementines, a few thinly sliced green onions and some feta cheese and you have the perfect combination for a hearty winter salad, great as a flavorful side or a light main coarse, whichever you prefer. Either way you won't be disappointed.

The combination of all the different ingredients in this salad are just perfect. Sweetness from the clementines, tartness from the cranberries, crunch from the almonds and creaminess from the edamame. It is also a beautiful salad, full of all the different colors. The clementine juice and honey in the dressing give it just the right amount of sweetness mixed with the acidity from the lemon juice and vinegar. I really do love this salad. The perfect way to add freshness to those gloomy winter days. 

Clementine Brown Rice Salad with Edamame and Cranberries

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 1 cup brown rice*
• 1 cup frozen, shelled edamame beans
• 4 clementines
• 3 green onions
• 1 cup of sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup feta cheese

For the Dressing

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed clementine juice
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Cook rice according to package directions*. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad. (Brown rice can also be prepared a day ahead and stored in the fridge until needed.) 

Fill a small pot with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, add edamame and cook for about 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside. 

Peal clementines, tear into segments and place in a large bowl. Thinly slice the green onion and add to the bowl. Add in the brown rice, edamame, toasted almonds and cranberries. Mix all together. 

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Mix it until everything is well incorporated. Add in the feta cheese and give it another  mix.

*Check out 

this

 post for my all time favorite, super easy method for making brown rice that turns out perfectly every time!