Kale Barley Salad
on Jun 02, 2015, Updated Sep 15, 2025
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The Moroccan-inspired kale barley salad features raisins, pistachios and parsley paired with a tangy turmeric dressing. You’ll love the nutty, chewy barley paired with sweet raisins and crunchy pistachios!
Flavourful salads with plenty of texture make eating more veggies a joy! Don’t miss this French Lentil Salad with Fresh Herbs, Curry Roasted Cauliflower Salad and Mediterranean Kale Salad for more delicious flavour combos like this one.
Ingredient Notes
Here are a few notes about the main ingredients in this recipe:
- Barley. You’ll need 2.5-3 cups of cooked barley or 1 cup of uncooked barley. Pot or pearled barley are both suitable for this recipe. Extra barley can be used in this Mediterranean Barley Salad or Vegetable Barley Soup.
- Kale. Any kind of kale works here, just be sure to wash it well, de-stem and finely chop. Choose organic kale when possible.
- Raisins. Raisins add a little sweetness that complements the other ingredients nicely. If you don’t have raisins on hand you can use dried cranberries or chopped dates. The raisins can be substituted with chopped dates or cranberries.
- Pistachios. Look for raw pistachio kernels for this recipe. They should have no added oil or salt. If you can only find salted, that’s ok too. Dry-roasted and salted also works. The pistachios can be substituted with slivered almonds or pine nuts.
In addition, you’ll need some spices, lemon and apple cider vinegar for the dressing, as well as red bell pepper and parsley for the salad.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by blending the dressing. Next, prepare the kale by removing the leaves from the thick stems and finely chopping them. Add the kale to a large bowl with the dressing and mix until the kale is well-coated.
Quick Tip: Let the kale and dressing sit for a few minutes to allow the kale to soften a bit.
Next, add the rest of the ingredients, mix everything up and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
If you have any other questions about this recipe, we’re happy to answer them in the comments section.
Barley is a whole grain, much like farro or freekeh. Barley is a type of wheat so it is not gluten-free but it does offer many nutritional benefits.
If you’ve never cooked barley before, it’s no different than cooking grains like farro and brown rice. Barley can be cooked stovetop or in an Instant Pot and either way the process takes about 30-40 minutes.
This recipe can be made gluten-free by subbing the barley for a gluten-free whole grain of choice. I would suggest short-grain brown rice.
This salad will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days but is best enjoyed fresh.
More Salad Recipes
Here are some more meal-sized salads you’ll love:
- Tuscan Kale Salad with Avocado
- Edamame Broccoli Wild Rice Salad
- Lentil Quinoa Bowl
- Vegan Lentil Kale Salad with Roasted Broccoli
- Quinoa Kale Salad with Roasted Vegetables
More Recipes to Try!
Kale Barley Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup pot or pearled barley, uncooked, (about 3 cups cooked, for a gluten-free option, use brown rice or quinoa)
- 5 cups de-stemmed and finely chopped kale
- 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup pistachio kernels
For the Dressing
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- water, as needed to adjust consistency
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the barley according to package instructions.1 cup pot or pearled barley, uncooked
- Add the kale, parsley, red pepper and raisins to a large mixing or serving bowl and mix well.5 cups de-stemmed and finely chopped kale, 1 cup parsley, 1 red pepper, 1/2 cup raisins
- Add the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender and mix until smooth. Add a little water, 1-2 tbsp at a time to adjust the consistency. It should be creamy but pourable. Pour over the kale mixture, stirring until the kale is well coated. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the kale and raisins to soften a bit.4 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp paprika, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp maple syrup
- Once the barley is cooked, drain any excess water and add to the rest of the ingredients.
- Fold in the pistachios. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.1/2 cup pistachio kernels
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on June 2, 2015.
Made this for the first time this weekend – it was a hit! Love the flavours – will be keeping this as a regular dish to make. Thank you!
Yes, of course. Honest mistake, I’m so used to my recipes being gluten-free I didn’t even think about it! I fixed it and will have to round-up all the pins to edit those. Thanks.
I just discovered your blog through Kath’s blogging tips roundup, and I have to say your photos are GORGEOUS!! I’m excited to check out more of your content!
Awesome recipe! I love kale!