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Make this delicious Campus Dining recipe at home

Barley Primavera (Julie Crider/Vanderbilt Campus Dining)
Barley Primavera (Julie Crider/Vanderbilt Campus Dining)

Vanderbilt Campus Dining has earned a host of distinctions, from being named No. 15 among the “75 Best Colleges for Food in America” by The Daily Meal and among “The Nation’s Healthiest College Cafeterias” by Spry Living to a “food service innovator” by Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, an industry trade publication.

But it’s not just students who turn to Campus Dining’s 20 convenient locations and versatile menu offerings for nourishment and to satisfy their taste buds each day. Many staff and faculty also dine on campus, often taking advantage of Campus Dining’s affordable meal plan.

By request, Campus Dining offers its recipe for Barley Primavera. Barley is a high-fiber, high-protein whole grain with a rich nut-like flavor and chewy, pasta-like texture. This dish packs a lot of flavor and will help you stick to your healthy eating resolutions.

Barley Primavera

Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup medium barley
  • 4 cups water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ ounces olive oil, more for tossing
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup red bell peppers, seeded and diced small
  • 1/3 cup green bell peppers, seeded and diced small
  • 1 small carrot, peeled and diced small
  • 1 small zucchini, ends and seeds removed, diced small
  • 1 small yellow squash, ends and seeds removed, diced small
  • 1 stalk green onion, washed and sliced thin
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Splash of sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, washed, stems removed and rough chopped

Directions:

  • Stir the barley and salt into briskly boiling water.
  • Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.
  • Spread barley out on a pan and allow to cool completely (in the refrigerator speeds up this process).
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the garlic and sauté briefly until the aroma is released.
  • Add the peppers, carrots and squashes and sauté quickly until coated in the oil and just starting to heat through. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Like the barley, spread the vegetables out on a pan to cool, scraping all of the oil out with them using a high-heat spatula.
  • Once chilled, mix the vegetables and barley in a large mixing bowl.
  • Drizzle in 1 or 2 tablespoons more of the olive oil and the splash of sherry vinegar and toss everything together well.
  • Finish with the parsley and adjust the seasoning to your liking with more salt and pepper.
  • Keep refrigerated.

For nutritional information on this dish, use Campus Dining’s nutrition calculator.

Select:

  1. Lunch
  2. Chef James Bistro (under Rand Dining Center)
  3. Cold Sides — Sides
  4. Barley Primavera

Recipe courtesy of Vanderbilt Campus Dining.

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