Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Salad with Barley, Feta and Mint
My eyesight is going to be really good by the end of this week. You see, I came home to over five pounds of carrots that needed to be used up stat. That’s what happens when I get a little over optimistic about exactly how often I’ll be using my juicer (reality: not at all).
I’d already planned to make another batch of vegan carrot soup, but even that wouldn’t use up the orange bounty in my fridge. Luckily I had just the recipe in mind to use up said carrots and have lunches for the week (and perhaps part of next week!): roasted carrot and chickpea salad with barley, feta and mint.
I made quite a number of modifications to this recipe, partially due to the ingredients I had on hand (barley, agave) and partially to lighten it up. Although all healthy fats, the amount of nuts and oil in the original recipe contained far more calories than I like to consume at lunch time. Toasting the chickpeas with the carrots gives them a nice little crunch. This recipe takes a bit more time than my usual lunch prep, but the result is a tasty summer salad, perfect for lunches or as a vegetarian side dish.
Roasted Carrot and Chickpea Barley Salad
Adapted from Eats Well With Others
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 tsp crushed or grated garlic
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp agave
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- pinch of cinnamon
For the salad:
- 1 cup dried barley, cooked according to package
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 lb carrots, cut into half moons
- 6 garlic crushed cloves
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 4 oz feta cheese*
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
*Could make vegan by using this garlicky baked vegan feta.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400. Make the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Toss the carrots, chickpeas, garlic, cumin, 1 tbsp oil, and salt in a large bowl and spread over a parchment-lined baking dish. Roast until tender and browned, about 25 minutes.
- Allow to cool and transfer back into the large bowl. Combine with cooked barley, walnuts, feta and mint. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
6-8 Servings
