a barley spin on the Waldorf Salad

this dish was inspired by a wheatberry Waldorf Salad i saw at Whole Foods today, but i'm sure any grain would taste great. eating different types of whole grains besides rice and pasta adds such a variety of flavor, texture, and nutrients to any diet. to learn more about the whole grains available to us, check out this site - Whole Grains A to Z.

this was my first time trying barley and i loved it. to me it's like a puffier, crunchier rice. i chose the hulled over the pearl barley because the hulled still has the bran layer intact, which is high in fiber. the pearl is whiter because it has been more processed and the outer shells, where many of the nutrients are, have been removed.

be sure to rinse well. to reduce cooking time, soak barley in water overnight.

here is my healthy, animal-friendly version of the Waldorf Salad:

1 C. barley, uncooked
few Tbsp olive oil to taste
1/2 to 1 C. walnuts
2 medium apples
1/2 to 1 C. dried cranberries
few handfuls of green grapes
1/8 C. apple cider vinegar
1/8 C. rice wine vinegar
1/2 C. orange juice (i used orange-tangerine Juicy Juice that i had bought for my niece)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice

bring 2 1/2 C. water to a boil. add barley, stir, and bring back to boil. cover and reduce to low. cook 40-60 minutes.

while barley is cooking, cut apples and grapes. measure out cranberries and walnuts. mix the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl. allow barley to cool before adding fruit and liquid mixture. serve immediately or refrigerate.

this salad serves about 4.