Corn and Barley Salad with Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

Since I've had my grill I've been making tons and tons of meals outside on that bad boy. A few nights ago I was grilling steaks and wanted a simple and light side dish. I decided to go with this corn and barley salad I had seen on Pinterest. The original recipe  had the most amazing photographs of a delicious piece of grilled chicken served over this incredible looking salad. I had never worked with barley before but decided to give it a shot because the pictures were calling me- well, haunting me actually- it was all I could think about. I had the original recipe including the chicken on the menu for two weeks but it kept getting bumped by things happening, the tomatoes being rotten once (boo), and just general laziness on my part! Finally I got around to it and I'm so glad I did.

John and I were both huge fans. I left out the avocado because neither of us are big avocado people but I know most people love it so I will include it in the recipe. I have to say this is the perfect summer side dish. You can serve it warm or cold, you can make a big batch of it for a party, or you can make a smaller batch for dinner. We loved it and I am confident you will too!

Source: Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Ingredients:
1/2 cup medium barley
1 cups fresh, canned, or frozen-then-thawed corn kernels
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 avocado, chopped (optional)
salt & pepper

Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon red onion
salt & pepper

Parsley

Directions:
1- Cook barley with a pinch of salt according to package directions. Drain when barley is tender to make sure all excess water is removed. Place into a large bowl to cool slightly.

2- Make the Tomato Vinaigrette: Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor or blender, then process until smooth.
3- Stir corn, cherry tomatoes, and red onion into the cooled barley. Stir in the tomato vinaigrette to taste. Gently fold in avocado (if using) then season with salt & pepper to taste.