Tasty Pearl Barley Side Dish
From everyday ingredients - bright, original, and appetizing! This Tasty Pearl Barley Side Dish looks so colorful you can confidently serve it on a festive table alongside any meat dishes. You can swap the vegetables and add different herbs and spices to change the flavor of this meatless, mood-boosting porridge!
Updated : 19 December, 2025
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
1 cup
Pearl barley
1
Tomato
1
Onions
1
Carrot
4 cup
Water
1
Bell pepper
3 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
to taste
Salt
to taste
Ground black pepper
15 grams
Greens
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to make tasty pearl barley for a side dish? Very simple. First, prepare all the ingredients you need. Wash the vegetables and herbs and pat them dry with paper towels.
Step 2
Rinse the pearl barley thoroughly until the water runs clear. Cover with warm water and leave for 30-60 minutes - this will help it cook much faster. Transfer the drained barley to a pot and add 4 times as much water as the dry barley. (For example, for 1 cup of barley, you need 4 cups of water.) Cook over low heat for 30-50 minutes, until it reaches your preferred texture. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water, and let it drain completely.
Step 3
Peel the onion and dice it small. Pour vegetable oil into a skillet and add the onion. You can use any onion, but note that red onion can look less appetizing after cooking.
Step 4
Peel the carrot and grate it on a coarse grater; add it to the skillet with the onion. You can also slice the carrot into thin matchsticks or dice it, but then you’ll need to increase the cooking time.
Step 5
Remove the stem end from the tomatoes and cut them into large dice. Add the tomatoes to the skillet with the vegetables.
Step 6
Remove the stem, seeds, and inner membranes from the bell pepper. Cut into medium dice and add to the skillet with the onion, carrot, and tomatoes.
Step 7
Stir the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat, stirring, for about 5-7 minutes. Adjust to your stove.
Step 8
Add the cooked pearl barley to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables and mix. Sauté everything together for another 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
Step 9
Remove the skillet from the heat. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Add the herbs to the barley and serve.
Step 10
Enjoy your meal!
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