Baked Barley with Chickpeas, Spinach and Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

Inspired by Italian flavors, this is a hearty vegan baked barley recipe with chickpeas, spinach, homemade sun-dried tomato pesto, and a crispy garlic bread crumb topping. It answers the question, “What if I used barley instead of pasta in a casserole?” And I’ll tell you… the barley lends such a lovely chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor that compliments the rest of the ingredients. I hope you find this too! It’s a great excuse to eat more whole grains 🙂

This recipe makes enough for a 9″ X 13″ (3 quart) casserole dish.

A few things…

• ・Pearl barley cooks faster than hulled barley. If you use hulled barley, it could impact the boiling time and the amount of water needed.

• ・The vegan mozzarella is entirely optional. But if you omit it, you might need to add salt. In step 3, just give the barley mixture a taste and adjust, if needed.

• ・You could easily swap some of the baked barley ingredients for others. Maybe try white beans, instead of chickpeas? Cooked farro, instead of barley? 2 cups of shredded zucchini, instead of the frozen spinach? While I haven’t tested all of these, I think they’d all work well.

And hey you… thanks for being here! I appreciate it 💚 Don’t miss other UVK recipes, like Vegan Sauerkraut, White Bean and Barley Soup, Chipotle Bean and Barley Salad, Barley Risotto with Mushroom and Leeks, Barley Lentil Salad with Fresh Dill and Chives, Green Bean and Radish Salad, and more.

Now, let’s make a hearty baked barley casserole!

Baked Barley with Chickpeas, Spinach and Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

6 cups water

1½ cup pearl barley

1 batch vegan sun-dried tomato pesto

8 ounce can of no salt tomato sauce

1 tsp dried basil

½ tsp garlic powder

15.5 ounce can of no salt chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 lb bag of frozen chopped baby spinach

2 Roma tomatoes, diced (OR ~1 cup diced fresh Roma tomatoes)

½ cup vegan shredded mozzarella – optional (see notes above)

1½ cups plain bread crumbs

1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp salt (+ more to taste)

Black pepper, to taste

Olive oil, to drizzle the bread crumbs

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Lemon wedges, to serve

1. In a medium pot, add the water. Bring it to a boil. Stir in the barley. Boil uncovered over medium-low heat for ~25-30 minutes or until the barley is fully cooked. Drain and set aside.

2. While the barley cooks, make the vegan sun-dried tomato pesto by following this recipe.

3. Add the pesto, tomato sauce, basil and garlic powder to a large mixing bowl. Stir together. Then, stir in the barley and chickpeas. Finally, stir in the frozen spinach, Roma tomatoes and vegan mozzarella (if using). Taste and adjust flavors, if needed (more salt?).

4. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Grease a 9″ X 13″ (3 quart) casserole dish. Spread the contents of the mixing bowl evenly in the dish. Cover the barley mixture tightly with aluminum foil, and then, bake at 375º F for 20-25 minutes or until it’s fully cooked through. Then, remove it from the oven.

5. While the barley bakes, mix together the bread crumbs, parsley, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Drizzle the bread crumbs with some olive oil. Gently toss the bread crumbs with a fork until they are coated in the oil.

6. Sprinkle the vegan baked barley with the lemon juice, and then, top with the bread crumb mixture. Bake uncovered at 375º F for ~5 minutes or until the topping is crispy and golden. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.