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4.7 from 9 votes

Barley Pilaf Recipe With Harissa

This barley pilaf is a flavourful one-pan dish, spiced with rose harissa and enriched with olives, tomatoes, and leafy greens. It's a great side dish or vegetarian grain bowl base. Top it with leftover veg, avocado, and nuts for a more substantial meal.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 373 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled, bashed and sliced
  • 3 tablespoons rose harissa, see notes
  • 2 cups cherry or rosa tomatoes
  • 1⅓ cups uncooked pearl barley
  • 2 cups light vegetable stock
  • ½ cup kalamata olives (about 25 olives), destoned and torn in half
  • ¾ cup Parsley, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place a large frying pan, for which you have a lid, on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and the onion. Cook until the onions start to turn soft and golden, stirring frequently. It should take about 8 minutes. Reduce the heat if your onions are browning too quickly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. Take care not to let the garlic burn.
  2. Stir the harissa paste into the onion mixture and add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst – about 3 minutes. Put the uncooked barley into the pan and mix it well with the harissa and onion mix. Allow it to toast for a minute –stirring often – before you add the stock and a teaspoon of salt. Turn the heat up high. Once it reaches a simmer, place the lid on the pan and lower the heat. Leave to simmer gently for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove the lid and turn up the heat for a brisk simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and the barley is cooked but still retains a nice bite – about 10 minutes. Add a splash of boiling water if the pan dries out too quickly.
  4. Stir in the olives. Add the baby spinach and stir through. Remove from the heat and stir through most of the chopped parsley, lemon juice and a good grind of black pepper, reserving some parsley to scatter over the plated dish. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. Serve the pilaf straight out of the pan or spoon it into a bowl. Scatter with the remaining parsley and lemon zest.

Notes

  • I prefer unpitted olives as I believe they taste better than the pitted ones. To use, I break the olives open by hand and tear the olive flesh into two halves.
  • You will need a large pan with a fitted lid for this recipe. If you don’t have one, you can use a deep pot – reducing the sauce may take longer. 
  • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat thoroughly.

Nutrition Information

Calories 373kcal (19%) Carbohydrates 64g (21%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Sodium 924mg (39%) Potassium 632mg (18%) Fiber 13g (52%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 3830IU (77%) Vitamin C 43mg (48%) Calcium 85mg (9%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 373

% Daily Value*

Calories 373kcal 19%
Carbohydrates 64g 21%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Sodium 924mg 39%
Potassium 632mg 13%
Fiber 13g 52%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 3830IU 77%
Vitamin C 43mg 48%
Calcium 85mg 9%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.