Colorful Bean & Barley with Almonds Salad

Name: Colorful Bean & Barley with Almonds Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings.
Ingredients: 2 cups vegetable broth; 1 cup quick-cooking pearl barley; 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained; 1 large red bell pepper, diced; 3/4 cup diced zucchini; 1/2 cup slivered California almonds, roasted*; 1/3 cup diced scallions; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; Salt and pepper

Jazz up any table setting with this tasty combination of colorful veggies, beans and nuts. Almond Board of California

Ingredients

2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup quick-cooking pearl barley
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup slivered California almonds, roasted*
1/3 cup diced scallions
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions

Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium pot. Stir in barley.
Cover and reduce heat; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, place kidney beans, bell pepper, zucchini, almonds and scallions in a large salad bowl.
Transfer cooked barley to colander and rinse with cold water (both to cool it down and to keep it from getting sticky).
Transfer cooled, drained barley to salad bowl. Add oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss well.

*To roast almonds, spread in an ungreased baking pan. Place in a preheated 350° oven and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant; stir once or twice to ensure even browning. Note that almonds will continue to roast slightly after removing from oven.