As Megan mentions, this bowl can be equally good with other grains - farro or quinoa, in particular. The recipe below is an adaptation of hers scaled for a small crowd. And because I had a sampling of other nuts and seeds onhand, I supplemented the almonds with those - pepitas and walnuts.
6 cups cooked barley
4 cups arugula or bean sprouts
6 ounces cotija, queso fresco, or ricotta salata cheese
1 cup toasted almonds, or a mix of seeds/nuts
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, or to taste2 cups plain yogurt
zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of chives, plus more for serving
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
In a large bowl combine the barley, arugula, cheese, almonds, and salt together. Mix well. You might need more or less salt depending on the saltiness of your cheese.
Make a quick yogurt sauce by whisking the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon, juice, chives, and salt in a small bowl. You can refrigerate this (or any leftovers) for a few days, if needed. If the sauce begins to separate, just give it a good stir before using.
Serve topped with avocado, chives, and big dollops of yogurt sauce. I used about half to top the main bowl, and served the rest on the side.
Enough for a small crowd.
Adapted from Megan Gordon's Whole Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons, published by Ten Speed Press, 2014
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