Roasted broccoli (stalk included) pairs perfectly with peppery French lentils and sweet, tender squash. A concentrated citrus dressing balances out the delightful spicy bitterness of the raw radicchio while refreshing celery and savory seeds add a crunch factor (necessary to all salads, imho). All grounded in hearty, chewy barley and topped with tart cranberries. What’s not to love?
If serving chilled as written here, take good care not to overcook your ingredients and ensure they cool completely before assembling the salad (otherwise they will come apart too much when mixed together). This also makes an excellent warm grain bowl! I suggest swapping out the olive oil in the dressing for tahini or another nut/seed butter if you give it a try. And make sure you save your squash seeds for toasting later!
Why not switch up ingredients? Make the most of what you have on hand with your favorite grain instead of barley, chickpeas instead of lentils, sweet potato instead of squash, cauliflower (with roasted leaves included) instead of broccoli, endive instead of radicchio. You get the idea–this is very customizable and makes for a great use-it-up recipe template at the end of the week.
