The Barley Alternative

American cooks have traditionally thought of barley as a soup thickener. Until recently, I used it almost exclusively in vegetable, beef and barley soup. Now, however, I use it instead of rice in risotto and as a substitute for bulgur in tabbouleh. It is also very good added to pilaf or mixed with other grains as a side dish and is delicious in salads.

Barley needs to cook about 45 minutes to be tender. It can be made ahead and either frozen or kept refrigerated a few days before serving. It is easy to reheat in a microwave, a covered skillet or a vegetable steamer set over boiling water.

For this salad recipe, I let the barley cook while I prepare the other ingredients. When the barley is cooked, I drain it, rinse with cold water to cool and make the salad.

I combine the cooked barley with crunchy raw corn kernels, red onion, green pepper and cooked shrimp. The dressing is a tangy mixture of lime juice and jalapen~o chiles.

I like to serve the salad as the focal point of a salad platter with a couple of side-dish salads. Served on a bed of salad greens, it looks pretty with the shredded carrot salad and tomato salad suggested below. A garnish of fresh cilantro sprigs and basil leaves pulls all the flavor elements together.

Simmons is the author of “Fresh & Fast” (Chapters Publishing, 1996).

BARLEY, SHRIMP AND CORN SALAD

1 cup pearl barley

Salt

1/3 cup lime juice

1/4 cup oil

1 tablespoon minced jalapen~o or more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp (fresh or frozen)

1 cup corn kernels, preferably fresh

1/2 cup peeled, seeded and 1/4-inch-diced cucumber

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

8 large leaves romaine or curly leaf lettuce

4 sprigs cilantro

4 basil leaves

Cooked shredded or diced chicken (about 2 cups) can be substituted for the shrimp, and other vegetables, such as red bell pepper, green onions or green peas, can be added to the salad.

Boil barley in salted water until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and cool.

Combine lime juice, oil, jalapen~o, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste in large serving bowl. Add cooked barley, shrimp, corn, cucumber, onion and green bell pepper and toss to blend. Taste and correct seasonings.

Arrange romaine leaves on 4 dinner plates or 1 large platter. Mound barley salad in center. Garnish with cilantro and basil.

4 servings. Each serving:

467 calories; 563 mg sodium; 221 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 31 grams protein; 1.24 grams fiber.

TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD (IT’S A SNAP)

2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

1/2 cup torn basil leaves

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dash salt

Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and toss to blend.

4 servings. Each serving:

76 calories; 64 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.41 gram fiber.

SHREDDED CARROT SALAD

1 pound carrots, coarsely shredded

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions, white parts only

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

Combine carrots, cilantro and green onions in medium bowl.

Heat cumin in 6- to 8-inch skillet over very low heat until warm and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in oil, lime juice and salt until blended. Pour dressing over carrot mixture and toss well.

4 servings. Each serving:

145 calories; 631 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.29 gram fiber.