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California Barley Bowl with Lemony Yogurt Sauce

4.4

(13)

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Image may contain Plant Food Fruit Avocado and Produce
Photo by Claire Barboza

If you grew up in Northern California in the 1990s, you lived through the trend that was sprouts. From alfalfa sprouts to bean sprouts, they seemed to find their way into every green salad, sandwich, and omelet. This savory whole-grain breakfast bowl is inspired by those California days, with chunks of ripe avocado, crumbled Cotija cheese, toasty almonds, and a citrus-sparked yogurt sauce. While alfalfa sprouts were prevalent when I was growing up, today I try to branch out, using a tangle of colorful bean sprouts or more delicate radish or sunflower sprouts. These morning bowls couldn't be easier to prepare, but the barley does take a while to cook; I put a pot on the stove first thing in the morning so it'll be ready by the time I've had my coffee and prepped the other ingredients. Feel free to experiment with other grains, too. I've tried this with both quinoa and farro, and it's as wonderful with delicate grains as it is with heartier ones.

Morning Notes:Cotija cheese is popular in Mexican and Latin dishes. It's a firm, crumbly cheese made of cow's milk and is used so often because it's milder than feta or even goat cheese and softens with heat but doesn't fully melt. You can also use queso fresco if it's easier to find.

Ingredients

Serves 2, heartily

1 1/2 cups / 255 g cooked barley, still warm
1 cup / 55 g bean sprouts, any variety (I like mung bean sprouts)
1/3 cup / 60 g crumbled Cotija cheese or queso fresco
1/4 cup / 20 g sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced or sliced
Lemony Yogurt Sauce
Flaky salt
Freshly ground black pepper

  1. In a small bowl, stir the barley, sprouts, cheese, almonds, and kosher salt together. Scoop into 2 individual bowls and top with the avocado and a few generous spoonfuls of yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper and serve.

Make Ahead:

Cooking the barley the night before is a great time-saver. Then these bowls really only take a few minutes to put together.

Reprinted with permission fromWhole-Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasonsby Megan Gordon. Copyright © 2013 by Megan Gordon; photographs copyright © 2013 by Clare Barboza. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Megan Gordonis a food writer and recipe developer; she writes regularly for The Kitchn and on her own blog,A Sweet Spoonful. Her work has appeared in numerous national magazines, includingBetter Homes and Gardensand theEdiblepublications. Megan owns and runs a Seattle-based granola company, Marge, which is distributed nationally and has been recognized by theWall Street JournalandSunsetmagazine.
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Reviews (13)

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  • One of my go to breakfast recipes on the weekends and the occasional weekday dinner.

    • kkristoff

    • Austin, TX

    • 6/16/2016

  • Great dish! Both tasty and healthy. I did add arugula and some halved cherry tomatoes.

    • RobinHurst

    • Cleveland, OH

    • 4/26/2015

  • Absolutely delicious, satisfying and healthy! I didn't have sprouts, so I used living cress. Didn't have queso cheese, so just sparkled a bit of Parmesan cheese and used the tip of green onions instead of chives. Num num!!!

    • sosostefano

    • Toronto, ON

    • 2/4/2015

  • I don't think btmadison was being intentionally negative. Rather, I see this reviewer as an anglophile. Good cook possibly as well. Nothing negative about either.

    • gracefullikeagazelle

    • Toronto, Canada

    • 1/31/2015

  • I'm with you, worldbeat. We're here for the food, not the negativity! Thanks for your take on the sandwich version of this dish. Will add it into my school lunch repertoire! This recipe turned out perfectly and was a nice light and fresh side to our tri-tip and a caprese salad. To save time, I made it the day before, and like some sauces, chili, etc. it seemed to only get better after a little time. Great summer side salad!

    • chiefnicks101

    • Sebastopol, CA

    • 8/22/2014

  • To: btmadison. Seriously? Please, give it a rest.

    • worldbeat

    • 8/4/2014

  • editorial comment only because it drives me nuts (pun intended) @worldbeat: decades (70s, 60s etc.) are plural, not possessive (70's 60's etc.) There, that's off my chest. Wonderful change in breakfast habit. Love everything about this recipe.

    • btmadison

    • Madison, WI

    • 8/1/2014

  • These are really healthy breakfast .Sprouts and barely both are great for health.It is tasty also.

    • byGilles

    • 8/1/2014

  • 豆芽和鳄梨组合远远早于90年s. In fact, it began in the very late 60's -early 70's. The classic sandwich was avocado, Monterey Jack cheese, sprouts, tomato & mayo stacked on sturdy slices of nutty whole wheat bread. Um um um. Still one of the most delicious sandwiches ever created. We used to pack them for lunch on the beach. They taste like California sunshine! I'd much rather eat one of those for breakfast than this bowl. Try it.

    • worldbeat

    • Oakland, CA

    • 7/31/2014

  • I have the book and have been planning on making this for ages - why did I wait so long! Delicious - I modified slightly with what I had on hand - used cilantro instead of chives in yogurt sauce, and cranberry-tarragon goat cheese crumbles instead of the cotija cheese. Will definitely make again!

    • aileenhome

    • NJ

    • 6/26/2014

  • I didn't like this recipe. I thought it was bland and the yogurt sauce was overpowering with too much tang and lemon flavor.

    • emloumar

    • Ohio

    • 11/17/2013

  • I love barley! This recipe is a no-meat keeper for me! Love the sauce. Gonna make the buckwheat crepes soon, and it them with the sauce. (I love buckwheat, too!)

    • liagarden

    • Santa Cruz, CA

    • 10/17/2013

  • Nice : )

    • rodneyt2

    • East Riding of Yorkshire UK

    • 10/16/2013

Tags Grain Bowl Barley Rice & Grains Quinoa Farro Sprout Vegetable Avocado Cotija Cheese Dairy Queso Fresco Almond Nut Yogurt Breakfast Vegetarian Easy Cookbooks

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