Fresh Corn and Barley Salad with Sour Cream-Chive Dressing
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 cups fresh corn kernels (3 or 4 medium-size ears) or frozen kernels
Sour cream & chive dressing:
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced shallots or red onion
1 medium-size tomato, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 medium-size cucumber, thinly sliced
Belgian endive leaves (optional)
In saucepan bring broth and water to boil, stir in barley and bring to boil again. Reduce heat to low, cover, simmer for 25-30 minutes (barley should be tender but still firm to bite, liquid should be mostly absorbed but barley still damp). Fresh corn: stir in corn, increase heat to medium, cover and simmer 5-7 minutes until corn is just tender. Frozen corn: stir into barley, then remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes.
Transfer barley/corn mixture to salad bowl and let cool until warm, stirring occasionally.
While barley/corn mixture is cooling, in a small bowl whisk together the sour cream, vinegar, salt and pepper until blended, then stir in the chives and shallots/red onion.
To serve, add the dressing, tomatoes and cucumber to the barley mixture and stir to combine. Can be served warm, room temperature or chilled; on top of endive leaves or on plates/in bowls.
My variations:
Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make it a vegetarian dish.
Use chicken broth with added garlic, onion or spices to jazz it up a bit.
Just cook the barley in broth and add corn for a hot side dish.
Substitute frozen or fresh peas for the corn, either as part of the complete salad or as the hot side dish version (barley + peas = complete protein so that combo in a bowl makes a satisfying lunch all by itself as well)
Skip the tomatoes and cucumber and just add the dressing to the barley/corn mixture as simpler "salad"
Use other creamy dressings (I love it with Renée's Mighty Caesar)
