Salad of Warm Vegetables with Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 4

The vegetables for this light supper salad are added to the pot gradually so that they finish cooking at the same time.

Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. honey
½ tsp. Dijon mustard

Salad

1 ¾ cups mushroom broth or low-sodium vegetable broth
¾ cup pearl barley
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
¼ lb. green beans, trimmed (1 cup)
¼ lb. baby carrots, halved lengthwise (1 cup)
¼ lb. asparagus (6–7 spears), trimmed, or 1 small zucchini, cut in 3/8-inch rounds
¼ lb. sugar snap peas, strings removed (1 cup)
8–10 small romaine lettuce leaves, torn
in pieces

1. To make Dressing: Whisk together all ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

2. To make Salad: Bring broth and barley to a boil over medium heat in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 30 to 35 minutes, or until broth is absorbed and barley is tender. Transfer to bowl, and keep warm.

3. Bring 2 inches salted water to a boil in wide (9-inch diameter) pot over medium heat. Add fennel, and bring to a gentle simmer. (Small bubbles should break surface of water around edges, not bubble up from bottom of pot.) Reduce heat to low, and poach 3 minutes. Add green beans and carrots, and poach  1 minute. Add asparagus and snap peas, and poach 3 minutes more. Transfer vegetables to colander with slotted spoon. Refresh under cool running water 30 seconds.

4. Arrange lettuce leaves on each of 4 salad plates. Scoop heaping 1/2 cup barley in center, and arrange warm vegetables around it. Drizzle each serving with 1 Tbs. Dressing.

March 2012 p.44