Looking for a tasty barley bowl? Try this Roasted Vegetable Barley Bowl with brussels sprouts, butternut squash, beets, shallots, and pumpkin seeds, with a tasty herb garlic sauce drizzle. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal or weekly meal prep!
Roast vegetables: Preheat oven to 400. Toss sliced brussels sprouts, butternut squash cubes, diced carrots, diced red beets, and sliced shallots in olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to a sheet pan and cook until golden brown, about 35 minutes, flipping throughout cooking to roast all sides of vegetables.
Make barley: Prepare barley according to package instructions. Typically this means adding 1.5 cups dried barley and 3 cups water to a medium sauce and bringing to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the sauce pan with a lid, and simmer until barley is fully cooked and has a fluffy texture, about 20-25 minutes.
Make sauce: Add chopped cilantro, chopped parsley, garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor. Pulse ingredients until they are finely chopped, then add white wine vinegar and olive oil and pulse a few more times to gently mix all ingredients together. Set aside.
Build barley bowl: When the roasted vegetables and barley are done cooking, it's time to build the bowl. Add barley to bowl first, then top with the roasted vegetable mixture. Drizzle with the herb garlic sauce, then garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
Meal prep instructions: To reduce cooking time, roast the vegetables, cook the barley, and make the herb garlic sauce up to two days ahead of time and then build the bowls when ready to eat.
Leftovers and storage: Store leftover ingredients – either separately or mix the ingredients together – in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze this meal to thaw and reheat later, but know that the vegetable consistency may not be as crunchy after thawing.
Nutrition notes: The nutrition information was calculated with the full amount of sauce prepared and used. This recipe features all plant-based ingredients, which makes it suitable for vegan diets. It is also nut-free, but does contain gluten in the barley. For a gluten free option, substitute barley with a gluten free grain like quinoa or rice.