Q&A for How to Cook Barley

Barley goes well with soups, stews and casserole dishes. It has a creamy texture that goes well with other ingredients like vegetables and meats, and it also absorbs flavors readily. It can also help thicken stews and soups, making it a hearty winter choice. Barley, when cooked and cooled, also makes an excellent salad base.

Barley can be introduced to any grain-based salad, it can be made into tabbouleh in place of burghul wheat and can also be used instead of or with rice in rice-based salads. It is a nice, filling salad ingredient that is especially useful for vegetarians and vegans needing a protein boost.

There are two types of barley you can buy––dehulled barley (also known as scotch or pot barley) and pearl or pearled barley. Dehulled barley is a whole grain which still contains the bran and germ and can be purchased as both whole, dry grain berries or ground into flour. It can also be purchased as flakes. Pearl or pearled barley is barley with the bran removed by polishing, then is steamed to make it easier to cook fast. Like dehulled barley, it can be purchased or made into flour as well and although pearled or pearl barely is not as nutritious as it is missing the bran, it is still very healthy.

Yes, barley contains gluten. It does not contain as much gluten as wheat but it still has some. When made into flour, barley produces a denser, less light baked good than you'd get using wheat, and many cooks prefer therefore to mix it with other flours rather than just use barley flour.

No, pot, Scotch or unrefined/dehulled barley needs to be soaked before it can be boiled. It is more work than cooking with pearl barley but does have higher levels of nutrition.

Yes, barley is a healthy addition to your diet. Barley is an excellent source of fiber, carbohydrates and protein. It contains many nutrients, minerals and vitamins, including B1, magnesium, selenium, phosphorous, niacin and copper. It can help lower cholesterol and inflammation.

You can boil it just like rice, using 3 parts water to 1 part barley. You can boil it on the stovetop or in a rice cooker.

I have successfully cooked mine in 15 minutes, but it depends on how soft you want your barley.

It works either way. The only consideration is if uncooked barley is added, the vegetables may turn out overcooked to a person's taste by the time the barley is tender. Using pre-cooked barley would allow the veggies to remain lightly cooked. Then there is also the matter of the barley being able to absorb more of the vegetable flavor during a longer cooking process. The bottom line is, you are the cook. Use these suggestions as a starting point, then do it as you want to.

Yes. Most barely sold in grocery stores will be "pearl."

Any cooked food left out of the refrigerator is likely to contain high levels of bacteria. This is especially true for foods high in carbohydrates, like barley. Molds can also get a good start overnight. You'd be wise to dispose of it.