Barley with Green Asparagus and Spinach

This sort of recipe is what most people imagine when they think vegan. Only they also think it’s boring, tasteless, and lacking ‘something’ nutritional. But here at Vegan.io, we don’t do boring and we certainly stay clear of tasteless. Our barley with green asparagus and spinach packs a punch, and I’m so excited to share it with you! 

Food is an extremely important part of our lives – it gives us the fuel to keep going! Most of love food and love to eat. In fact, a good portion of us take pictures of our food to show people we are eating amazing food (you can laugh, but you know you have done it at least once). But food can also be stressful. All of the importance around getting a balanced diet and making sure we eat right, it can become very overwhelming. So recently I have been focusing on making recipes that are balanced dishes to help take the stress out of your life. And this is one of those meals. 

Let’s take a look at what makes this dish so amazing.

In the spirit of keeping things less stressful, I have made this as easy as possible to make. All you are going to need is 9 ingredients and 30 minutes. Don’t let the time fool you, most of this is just for cooking the barely.

We start of this delightful little dish with, you guessed it, barely. Barely is a great source of dietary fibre and manganese, while also having a good level of copper and vitamin B1. Not to forget, it has an amazing nutty flavour and gives us a chewy texture throughout. 

You then add in some asparagus, garlic, and spinach. Together, the ingredients offer us a protein, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, iron, and folate (just to name a few). To top it off, we add some salt, pepper, and almonds for taste. And BOOM! You’re all done.

The barley with green asparagus and spinach recipe is the perfect meal for lunch or dinner because it’s: 

• Well balanced in taste and nutrition. 
• A great source of protein – 12g per serve
• Moderate calories – only 301 per serve
• A great source of fibre – 13g per serve.

As with most foods, this dish is best served hot, straight after cooking. However, if you need to store any left overs or prepared lunch, you can do so by using an airtight container and placing it in the fridge. Please, DO NOT store this for any longer than 24 hours (unless freezing your meal). Barely, like rice, can cause sickness if left for long periods of time and then re-heated. 

So, what are you waiting for? Go get cooking! 



Liked this recipe? Why not check out our Black Rice with Coconut Milk and Spicy Chickpeas for more lunch and dinner ideas.