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Vegan Mediterranean Salad with winter vegetables and pine nuts
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Mediterranean Vegetable Salad

A Mediterranean-inspired vegan packed lunch recipe – full of flavour and healthy ingredients, this dish won’t leave you hungry an hour after eating! *From The Hungry Hungry Husband and Deliciously Ella*
Course Lunch
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 233kcal

Ingredients

  • 100 g pearl barley
  • 2 aubergines sliced into thick strips
  • 200 g spinach
  • 75 g sun-dried tomatoes I buy the still-dry ones that need rehydrating before use but the jarred ones are just as good
  • 1 lime (juice of)
  • 50 g pine nuts these are expensive so use as many as you can afford! They add a really nice finishing texture
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • ½ tablespoon dried mixed herbs Herbes de Provence work really well, otherwise just chuck in a combination of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.
  • salt & pepper for seasoning

Instructions

Cook pearl barley:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-assisted)
  • Add pearl barley to a saucepan, cover with cold water then urn the heat to max and bring to the boil
  • Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and leave to simmer, stirring occasionally (add more water if it gets low, the barley wants to be covered at all times)
  • Try some after 45 min and if it's soft, drain and set aside

Prepare sun-dried tomatoes & aubergines:

  • If using dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes, cover them in boiling water now and leave to soak for 10 mins before slicing them in half
  • Place the aubergine strips onto a baking tray, drizzle all over with oil and season with salt & pepper before sprinkling over your dried mixed herbs
  • Pop into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes

Cook spinach:

  • Add spinach into a deep-sided frying pan or saucepan, drizzle with oil and season well with salt & pepper
  • Leave to wilt slowly over a low heat, turning it over every now and then
  • Once wilted, remove from the pan from heat and mix in the sun-dried tomatoes, lime juice, and tahini, as well the cooked pearl barely and aubergine
  • Add more lime juice and salt & pepper to taste before transferring to a large bowl – cover with cling film and leave in the fridge

Toast the pine nuts:

  • Add the pine nuts to a frying pan over a high heat and toast them for a few minutes *tip* no need to add oil as the nuts will release a little of their own
  • Be watchful the whole time and stir or toss the pan often to stop them from catching; when they go a little golden all over and start to smell really good, turn off the heat and transfer to an airtight tub

In the morning:

  • Put a portion of the salad into a tub or lunch box and sprinkle generously with the toasted pine nuts

Notes

*hot option* just pop the salad in the microwave (it will only take 1 or 2 minutes to heat up, depending on the strength of the machine) and sprinkle the pine nuts over afterwards