Cherry Tomato and Barley Salad

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• salt and pepper, for seasoning
• 150g cherry tomatoes
• 75g green beans, cut in half
• 250g cooked barley
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp black olives, roughly chopped

To serve:

• 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 4-5 basil leaves, torn into pieces
• 2 tbsp grated vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C / fan 180⁰C / gas 6.
2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and thyme. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir well. Set aside.
3. Bring a pan of water to a rapid boil, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Remove them from the pan and quickly plunge into very cold water. Once cool, drain and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, add the cooked barley, green beans, red onion, capers and olives. Season with black pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated.
5. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with pine nuts, basil and cheese.