Smoked chicken, pot barley & cranberry salad
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus overnight soaking and cooling
- Easy
- Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 200g pot barley, soaked overnight, or pearl barley
- 50g dried cranberries
- 200g green beans, halved
- 1 red-skinned pear
- 1⁄2 lemon, juiced
- 50g pecans, lightly toasted
- 50g lamb’s lettuce
- small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 250g smoked chicken, sliced or torn into chunks
For the dressing
- 1½ tbsp cider vinegar
- 3 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp hazelnut or walnut oil
Method
- STEP 1
Put the soaked pot barley in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil, or cook the pearl barley following pack instructions. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook until the barley is tender but retains a little firmness, about 10-15 mins. Drain and leave to cool completely. Meanwhile, put the cranberries in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to plump up for 20 mins.
- STEP 2
Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together with a fork. Taste for balance – it should be slightly sweet. Add more vinegar or maple syrup, if you like.
- STEP 3
Cook the beans in boiling water for 1-2 mins or until they’re tender but still have a little bite. Drain and run cold water over them to help them keep their bright colour. Drain the cranberries and pat them dry with a tea towel. Core, quarter and slice the pear, then toss the slices with the lemon juice.
- STEP 4
Put the drained barley, beans, cranberries, pear, pecans, lamb’s lettuce, parsley and chicken into a broad, shallow serving bowl with the dressing. Gently toss everything together and serve.
