Roast mushroom grains with date dressing
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Stuart West
Roast mushroom grains with date dressing
Chewy pearl barley makes this grain bowl pleasingly rustic, with earthy mushrooms, crunchy walnuts and a sweet punchy dressing. If you want to add some protein, goat’s cheese works well
Serves: 2
Prep time: 10 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
588Kcal
Fat
28gr
Saturates
4gr
Carbs
72gr
Sugars
23gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
10gr
Salt
0gr
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Nadine Brown
When Nadine isn't busy developing delicious recipes and using her experience as a health food editor to create healthy treats, she's munching and reviewing her way around her beloved home town of Tottenham. Find out what she's cooking and eating on Instagram @n0sh.17
See more of Nadine Brown’s recipes
Ingredients
- 3 Medjool dates, stones removed and halved
- 120g pearl barley, rinsed
- 1 x 120g pack shiitake mushrooms, halved if large
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked
- 20g walnut halves
- 40ml balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 60g wild rocket
Step by step
- Place the dates in a small heatproof bowl, cover with 50ml boiling water and leave for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Add the barley to a pan filled with 600ml boiling salted water and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Toss the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the thyme and seasoning. Spread out on a lined baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Drain off any juices released, then roast for another 10 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the walnuts to one side of the tray, roasting until golden.
- To make the dressing, remove the dates from the water (keep the liquid) and chop finely. Stir the chopped dates back into the liquid, adding the vinegar, garlic and lemon juice. Whisk in the remaining oil, seasoning to taste. Add a splash more water if needed.
- Drain the pearl barley. Roughly chop the toasted walnuts and toss with the mushrooms, pearl barley and rocket. Toss together with a few spoonfuls of the dressing, season to taste then divide between two plates and serve with a further drizzle of dressing.
