One of my favorite simple meals is a grain bowl. You can toss in just about any veggie, and with a little sauce, you have a meal. This lemon broccoli barley bowl with cilantro pesto is an excellent example.
I started with a base of quick cooking barley. It cooks in only 10 minutes, which makes dinner speedy. You could also meal prep regular pearled barley, and it would be ready in even less time!
The quick barley reminded me of oats with a little more texture. To make this dish gluten free, you try using rolled oats instead, or another gluten free grain.
Tips and Tricks for the Lemon Broccoli Barley Bowl with Cilantro Pesto recipe:
- The broccoli stems add crunch and sweetness that really complimented the dish. You could use all stems if you like to use them up from other recipes.
- I used pepitas in the cilantro pesto. They are shelled pumpkin seeds. If you can’t find pepitas, don’t use pumpkin seeds, as the shells will not make a nice pesto. Try your favorite nut instead.
- Batch cook regular pearled barley and use it in other recipes. Some ideas include: kale and barley breakfast bowls, sesame barley salad with green beans and mushrooms, or roasted broccoli steaks with chickpeas.
Lemon Broccoli Barley Bowl with Cilantro Pesto
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 3 servings
- Category: Entree
Ingredients
Broccoli
- 1 TBS olive oil
- 1 large head broccoli, stems and florets chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
Barley
- 1 cup quick pearled barley
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
Cilantro Pesto
- 1 cup fresh cilantro with stems
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup pepitas
- 3 TBS olive oil
- 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
- 1 TBS water
- ¼ tsp each: black pepper, salt, coriander
Serving
- 1 ½ cups cooked great northern beans (one 15 oz can)
- 3 TBS shaved parmesan, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Toss broccoli florets and stem pieces with olive oil and the minced garlic. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes, and toss the cooked broccoli with lemon juice.
- Meanwhile, bring water and salt to a boil. Add cook quick pearled barley and simmer 10 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes to soak up any excess liquid.
- To make the pesto, combine cilantro, pepitas, and garlic in a food processor and run until well chopped. Scrap down the sides, add black pepper, salt, coriander, lemon juice and water. Turn on the food processor and pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- To serve, spread barley across the bottom of 2 bowls. Top with great northern beans, lemon broccoli, a third of cilantro pesto and a tablespoon of shaved parmesan.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
