By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- 5(132)
- Notes
- Read community notes
When fat stalks of asparagus come into the markets, what better thing to do with them than roast or grill them? What’s more, the California chef and teacher John Ash, demonstrating a recipe at the recent “Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives” conference at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley – an event that bridges health care, nutrition science and cooking – insists that not only does asparagus taste better when it’s not cooked in or near water, but also that it doesn’t cause that distinctive odor in urine many people experience after eating it. I can’t vouch for the latter claim, but asparagus is intensely delicious when you roast it And it’s a beautiful addition to this lemony mix of barley and herbs. For the herbs, I like to mix sweet (tarragon, chives) with bitter (parsley, marjoram, thyme). Cooked barley will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen. The dressed grains will be good for 2 to 3 days.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 4 as a main dish salad, 6 as a side
- 1cup barley
- 3cups water
- Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
- 1pound thick-stemmed asparagus
- 2tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, marjoram, chives, tarragon and thyme
- 1½tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1tablespoon sherry vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 1teaspoon lemon zest
- 1small garlic clove, puréed
- ½teaspoon dry mustard or 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 6tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil
- Lemon wedges or sliced lemon for garnish (optional)
For the Vinaigrette
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
453 calories; 29 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 930 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat a 3- quart saucepan over medium-high heat and add barley. Toast in the pan, shaking pan or stirring grains until they begin to smell a little bit like popcorn. Add water and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste (I suggest ½ to ¾ teaspoon for 1 cup barley), reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 to 50 minutes, until barley is tender (it will always be chewy). Drain off any liquid remaining in the pot through a strainer (set it over a bowl if you think you might want to use the barley water in a stock or risotto – it’ll keep for a day in the refrigerator). Shake strainer and return barley to the pot. Cover pot with a clean dishtowel and return the lid. Allow barley to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step
2
Meanwhile, roast asparagus and make dressing. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Snap off woody ends of the asparagus and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss together until all of the asparagus is coated with oil (I do this with my hands). Make sure that asparagus is in one layer on the baking sheet in the pan and place in oven. Roast for about 12 minutes, or until tender and beginning to shrivel. It should be browned in spots. Remove from heat.
Step
3
Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, salt, lemon zest, garlic, and mustard. Whisk in olive oil.
Step
4
Transfer cooked barley to a large bowl. Add herbs and vinaigrette and toss together until barley is evenly coated with dressing. Arrange on a platter or on plates. Lay stalks of roasted asparagus on over the top, and serve.
Ratings
5
out of 5
132
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Cooking Notes
Rebecca Goodsell
I have made this twice, taking advantage of asparagus season. It was good the first time, but the second time around was superb. I used arugula as the herb in the barley (pureed it into a rough pesto) and amped up the lemon. So much more flavor, Wow
SunsetStella
John Ash is a treasure. I think he is retired now, his cookbook "cooking one on one" helped me learn how to cook. This recipe is typical of some of his style, simple and very flavorful. I also used just 4 tb of olive oil. Great recipe.
Kathy D
This was SO good! For the salad I more than doubled the herbs (parsley and chives). For the vinaigrette I used 2 tsp lemon zest (from1 medium lemon) and added finely diced shallots. The amped up lemon was great with James Beard teriyaki marinated flank steak. Also, I’ve found roasted asparagus can be stringy so next time I will steam for a few minutes and it will be perfectly crisp tender. Great recipe!
Katie
This was a good way to get more barley in, as we are trying to bring down my husband's bad cholesterol. Next time I will cut back on olive oil. I also may roast some cherry or grape tomatoes with the asparagus and mix it in. I also found that after 45 to 50 min when I uncovered the barley, there was no more water left and it was on the verge of ruining the barley. Next time I will check sooner and add more liquid if needed.I have had this warm and also cold as leftovers. Prefer it warm.
Rachel
Suggest cutting down the olive oil for the barley. 4 tbsps is probably sufficient rather than 6.
Jeanne
Used farro instead of barley; peeled the asparagus, which I should have roasted for only 4-5 minutes but it was terrific anyway.
shelley
Needs more lemon juice. Try with dill weed!
Es
I find that the Red Mill pearl barley is a great product. I stirred in sauteed portobello mushrooms and a handful of wilted spinach to the barley and herbs (in my case mostly chives). The roasted asparagus sat on top. A Lovely spring dish!
Judy
Substituted spelt, which I had already cooked. Terrific dish, even leftovers. Will toast it first next time.
Shelley
I used pot barley, not pearled barley, the flavor is very good but it was a little greasy. I’ll cut back on the oil and up the mustard and vinegar next time.
LBT
This is my new favorite way to make grains. I dial back the oil (for calories) & leave out the zest to make the lemon a lil more subtle. So far I’ve done both farro and barley - and served with and without asparagus. Yum.
TobyCat
Made as written but served on a bed of arugula and added shrimp. Delish! Will make again.
Cyrus
Tossed the cooked barley with tarragon, parsley, scallions and thyme from my garden, and I roasted the asparagus with coarsely chopped shallots. So not exactly to the recipe. Delicious. Even my wife, who hates barley, admitted it was pretty good.
InkieD
Made with pearled barley, thyme and chives. Roasted the asparagus for 20-25 minutes. Great depth of flavor. Pulling the thyme leaves off their stems was time consuming. Will use something with bigger leaves (parsley or tarragon) next time.
Courtney
Very tasty and simple. I used a premade batch of grains and lentils to make this a much quicker dish, and server it along lemon pepper tilapia. I paired it with a zippy white blend from Field Recordings. Also, to the herbs I added chopped green onions which added a great flavor and textural component. Definitely adding this into my rotation and looking forward to trying different versions, or spooning the yummy vinaigrette over other vegetable dishes.
SherryHi
Barley was cooked in 45 mins and almost burned. Nearly all the water boiled off.
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