04/29/2026
🥗This recipe – which includes this week’s food of the week, barley – is designed to be a FAST and EASY lunch or dinner.
But there’s a bonus! (Beyond the bacon.)
It’s also “meal prep” friendly. It’ll keep in the fridge for 2 days if you leave out the avocado. When you’re ready to eat it, just stir in the avocado.
🥓Bacon & Shrimp Barley Salad 🍤
(makes 4 servings)
● 4 strips bacon, chopped
● 2 cups (480 ml) water
● 1 cup (140 g) quick-cooking barley
● 1 lb (450 g) peeled cooked shrimp, tails removed, chopped
● Juice of 3 limes
● 2 cups (300 grams) grape tomatoes, halved
● 1 small onion, finely diced
● ½ yellow bell pepper, diced
● ½ cup (10 grams) chopped fresh cilantro
● 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
● Freshly ground pepper, to taste
● 1 avocado, peeled and diced
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Carefully remove from the pan to drain on paper towels or a wire rack. Drain fat from the pan.
Add the water to the pan and bring to a boil. Add the barley and lower the heat to a simmer, and cover the pan. Cook until done (the water will be absorbed), about 10-12 minutes.
Chop the cooled bacon and set it aside.
When the barley is almost done, combine the shrimp and the lime juice in a large bowl to let the shrimp marinate slightly. Stir in the cooked barley and let it stand for about 10-15 minutes so it can absorb the lime juice.
Stir well and add the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cilantro, bacon, and oil and gently stir to make sure everything is well coated. Stir in the avocado and add a few “grinds” of pepper and serve. 👩🍳
