Herbed Pomegranate Barley Salad

This post is once again in thanks to Bon Appetit. I was going through their spread on alternatives to Thanksgiving sides and found their twist on the classic cranberry sauce pretty intriguing. They suggested using pomegranates instead of cranberries, which is the perfect alternative since Ty hates cranberries. I couldn't wait for Thanksgiving to try their pomegranate-mint relish recipe so I incorporated it into a seasonal herbed barley salad. By the way, this was my first time deseeding a pomegranate. In fact, I had never seen a pomegranate until I had to buy one for this recipe. The best recommendation I have for anyone dealing with pomegranates is make sure you're wearing clothes that can get dirty because pomegranate stains. You will get messy! It's so worth it though. Here's an image tutorial on how to deseed a pomegranate.

Pomegranate Fruit

Step 1: Slice crown end and discard

Step 2: Score the rind around the pomegranate, but do not cut too deep. You don't want to "pop" any seeds.

Step 3: Remove the seeds from the rind in a large bowl of water. The seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Separate and drain.

Step 5: Now you have seeds!

And finally, on to the salad!

What you'll need:

1 cup barley (couscous, orzo, etc. are all great options)
3 cups of water (you can use stock)
Pomegranate seeds (1 pomegranate is enough)
1 chopped orange pepper
1 chopped shallot
Handful of mint
Handful of cilantro
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp olive or avocado oil

A dash of salt and pepper

 Directions:
1. Cook the barley. Per 1 cup of barley, use 3 cups of water or stock. Simmer for 30-40 minutes on low heat. Set aside and let cool down.

 2. Deseed your pomegranate and prepare your herbs and vegetables.
 3. Mix chopped orange pepper, pomegranate seeds, herbs, lemon juice, and oil in big bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

 4. Once barley is cooled down, mix together and refrigerate. Serve once cooled down.