Want a Beet and Barley Salad That Survives?
Ontario beets and Canadian barley make a lunch that holds up in the fridge. This beet and barley salad keeps four days and costs about $2.61 a serving.
Ingredients
| beets, scrubbed and trimmed | 700 g |
| pearl barley | 200 g |
| goat cheese, crumbled | 100 g |
| walnut halves, roughly chopped | 60 g |
| red onion, thinly sliced | 1/2 onion |
| lemon, zested and juiced | 1 lemon |
| olive oil | 45 mL |
| dijon mustard | 15 mL |
| fresh dill, roughly chopped | 1/3 of bunch |
| salt & pepper | to taste |
| water | 750 mL |
Steps
- 1Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Wrap the beets loosely in foil, set them on a baking sheet and roast 40 to 45 minutes, until a knife slides in with no resistance.
- 2Cook the barley while the beets roast. Rinse it, add it to a pot with the water and a good pinch of the salt, bring to a boil, drop to a simmer, cover and cook about 30 minutes until tender but still chewy. Drain any water left in the pot.
- 3Soften the onion by putting the slices in a small bowl with half the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Leave it while everything else cooks.
- 4Whisk the dressing from the olive oil, Dijon, lemon zest and remaining lemon juice, with the remaining salt and the pepper.
- 5Peel the beets once cool enough to handle, rubbing the skins off with a paper towel over the sink. Your fingers will go pink and it washes off. Cut them into bite-sized cubes.
- 6Toss it together while the barley is still warm, combining barley, beets, drained onion and dressing, then fold through the dill and scatter the goat cheese and walnuts over the top.
Barley carries beta-glucan, a soluble fibre associated with lower LDL cholesterol and with keeping you full for hours rather than minutes. The beets bring dietary nitrates, which the body converts into a compound that helps blood vessels relax, and research has linked them to modest improvements in blood pressure.
Most packed lunches are unrecognizable by Tuesday. This beet and barley salad is better on day two, keeps for four days in the fridge, and costs about $2.61 a serving. Roast the beets, cook the barley, dress it while still warm, and the week looks after itself.
What makes Ontario beets in season worth the oven time?
Sweetness that survives roasting. Ontario beets in season run from summer through late autumn, and the provincial availability guide lists them among the longest-available local vegetables, which is part of why this works as a shoulder-season lunch rather than a two-week window.
What is the cost per serving for a work lunch?
About $2.61, which makes the cost per serving for a work lunch roughly a fifth of a bought sandwich and coffee.
Seasonal Canadian produce is doing the heavy lifting on that number, which is exactly what Canada's Food Guide recommends for keeping food costs down, and the same logic runs through our summer lentil salad with feta and lemon, our grilled chicken and Ontario peach salad and our crispy corn and zucchini fritters.
How do you roast beets without staining everything?
Roast them whole in their skins, then peel with a paper towel. Learning to roast beets without staining everything is mostly about doing the messy part after cooking rather than before, and doing it over the sink.
How should you pack this for work?
In portions, with the walnuts separate. A beet and barley salad travels better than most, so when you pack this for work it keeps about four days in the fridge at 4 degrees Celsius or colder and genuinely tastes better on day two, once the beets have bled into the barley and the dressing has settled.
Keep the walnuts in a separate small bag or container so they stay crunchy, and add them at the desk. If goat cheese is not your thing, feta does the same job. Expect the whole salad to turn a deeper pink by day three, which is the beets doing what beets do and not a sign anything has gone wrong. It does not freeze well, since the beets go watery on thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned beets instead of roasting them?
You can, and it cuts the cooking time to about 30 minutes, but the texture is softer and the flavour noticeably less sweet, since roasting concentrates the sugars. Drain and rinse them well, pat dry, and add a little extra lemon to compensate. Roasted beets also hold their shape better across four days of packed lunches.
What can I use instead of pearl barley?
Farro and wheat berries behave most similarly, holding their chew for days. Quinoa works but softens faster and will not last the full four days as well. Avoid rice, which goes hard in the fridge. If you need it gluten-free, buckwheat groats or sorghum are the closest substitutes, since barley contains gluten.
How long does this keep in the fridge?
About four days in a sealed container at 4 degrees Celsius or colder, and the flavour improves on the second day. Keep the walnuts separate until serving so they stay crunchy. The salad deepens in colour as the beets bleed through, which is normal. It does not freeze well because the beets release water on thawing.
Do I have to peel the beets before roasting?
No, and it is easier if you do not. Roast them whole in their skins wrapped loosely in foil, then rub the skins away with a paper towel once they are cool enough to handle. Doing it after cooking is faster, wastes less of the beet, and keeps most of the colour off your hands and worktop.
Your next step
If you want help building meals around your blood pressure or cholesterol numbers rather than guessing at it, book with a registered dietitian near you, or set up ongoing care through a family practice in your area. You can also compare providers across your province. For more seasonal Canadian recipes, browse the Medimap Health Hub.
This article is general information and is not medical advice. It does not replace an assessment by a qualified health professional or a personalized eating plan from a registered dietitian, and food alone should not be used to manage blood pressure or cholesterol without clinical guidance. For a medical emergency, call 911.