Roasted Asparagus Mushroom Barley Salad
on Mar 19, 2025
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Tossed in a zesty garlic lemon vinaigrette, this roasted asparagus mushroom barley salad has plenty of roasted vegetables and greens folded into whole grains. I give the sliced mushrooms a head start roasting before adding the asparagus to the pan. While they’re in the oven, I quickly simmer the grains. Then I put it all together with baby spinach, toasted walnuts, scallions and parmesan. This grain salad can be a vegetarian main or side dish and is fantastic for meal prep.
Looking for more spring greens? Also try this asparagus white bean salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Kick off spring with a simple asparagus recipe. Besides frozen peas, asparagus is another one of those early vegetables that helps me emerge from winter and get excited about all the bright color and flavors ahead in the warmer months.
With barley as a base and not lettuce, this salad won’t wilt. That makes it great for meal prep for work lunches and quick dinners. It’s also a good choice for spring potlucks and picnics.
This healthy salad can be a side dish or a vegetarian main dish. That’s one of the many reasons why I am such fan of grain salads. They can be flexible in a meal and serve multiple purposes depending what else you pair with them.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Asparagus: Look for asparagus spears that are firm and straight. Skip any that are wrinkled or soft. The crowns should be tight and not open. Do your best to find asparagus stalks that are about the same diameter because then they will roast in the same amount of time.
- Mushrooms: Use baby bella mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. They have more complex flavor than white button mushrooms. Before you slice them, brush off any dirt. It’s fine to buy mushrooms that are already sliced.
- Barley: I simmer the grains in water on the stove, but you can also go with low-sodium vegetable broth. Instead of pearled barley, you can substitute with brown rice or farro. They both have grains similar in size to barley. I don’t recommend quinoa because it is so much smaller and won’t balance out with the roasted asparagus and mushrooms.
- Baby spinach: Even though this is a grain salad, I still like to include some greens. You can swap with baby arugula or use a mixture of both.
- Scallions: These green onions add their mild onion flavor and crisp accent.
- Walnuts: Toast the nuts in advance. This really brings out their nutty taste. Spread chopped walnuts across a sheet pan and toast them for 5-7 minutes in a 350-degree F oven. You can substitute with almonds or sunflower seeds.
- Parmesan: I stir in grated parmesan cheese to round out everything in the dish. You can swap with pecorino or for something stronger, try feta cheese. To make the recipe vegan, leave out the cheese or use a plant-based, dairy-free alternate.
- Parsley: Along with parmesan, I fold in fresh herbs as a finishing touch.
- Garlic: I roast a garlic clove with the mushrooms and asparagus and then mash it and stir it in the vinaigrette.
- Olive oil, kosher salt & black pepper season the vegetables for roasting, and they’re also in the dressing.
- Lemon vinaigrette: The salad dressing has roasted garlic, fresh lemon juice, whole grain mustard, extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper.
How To Make This Roasted Asparagus Mushroom Barley Salad Recipe
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
1. Roast the mushrooms. Toss them and the garlic clove with olive oil, salt and pepper on the baking sheet. Spread them out. Roast for 10-12 minutes giving the mushrooms time to brown.
2. Add the asparagus to the pan. Carefully toss the asparagus pieces with the mushrooms, spreading everything into a single layer.
3. Finish roasting the mushrooms and asparagus. This will take only 5-6 minutes. The mushrooms should be well browned and slightly crisp at the edges, and the asparagus should be bright green.
4. Cook the barley. Do this while the vegetables roast. Combine the barley and water in a pot. Bring them to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the barley is tender but chewy, about 12 minutes. Let stand for 2-3 minutes and fluff with a fork. Drain any excess water from the pot.
5. Make the vinaigrette. Squeeze the roasted garlic clove out of its skin into a small bowl. Whisk it with mustard, salt, pepper, lemon juice and oil.
6. Assemble the salad. Combine the cooked barley, roasted asparagus and mushrooms, spinach, scallions, walnuts, parmesan and fresh parsley in a large bowl.
7. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette, tossing to combine.
Serving
Barley is a hearty whole grain, which is why I like to eat this recipe as a main dish salad, but I will serve it as a side dish too. It all depends on what else I have going on in the meal. You can approach barley salads as an alternate to vegetarian pasta salads. Both work well for meal prep.
If you do serve it as a side, pair it with proteins such as chicken, salmon, shrimp or tofu. You can also stir in canned chickpeas or white beans.
Leftovers & Storage
You can store this hearty grain salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Barley is great for leftovers because those grains hold their bite and don’t get mushy. I put the salad out at room temperature for 15 minutes before I serve it, so it isn’t as cold as it is straight from the fridge. If you do have extra dressing, store it in a separate mason jar.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the barley. Think about the recommended cook time on the package. I find that instructions for pearl barley can say to simmer it for much longer than it needs. The grains should have a chewy texture. I compare them to al dente pasta.
- Taste the salad to see if it you need to season it a bit more. Room temperature and cold dishes, require more salt and pepper than food served hot. When you have the salad ingredients combined, taste it to see if you should sprinkle in more salt and/or pepper.
More Asparagus Recipes
Sesame Tofu Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus Soup
Grilled Asparagus Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
Sheet Pan Mushroom Asparagus Gnocchi
Udon Noodle Stir-Fry with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Parmesan Garlic Roasted Asparagus
More Barley Recipes
Roasted Summer Vegetable Barley Salad
Tabbouleh Salad
Wild Mushroom Barley
Vegetable Barley Soup
Baked Kale Barley Risotto
White Bean Arugula Barley Salad
Butternut Squash Risotto
Roasted Asparagus Mushroom Barley Salad
Ingredients
For asparagus and mushrooms
- 8 ounces baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 garlic clove in its skin
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch long pieces
For barley
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 3 cups water
For vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For salad
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- On a sheet pan, toss the mushrooms and garlic clove with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer. Roast for 10-12 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.
- Toss the asparagus with the mushrooms, spreading everything into a single layer and continue roasting for 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms are browned and slightly crisp at the edges and the asparagus is bright green.
- To make the barley. Combine the grains and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes until the grains are tender, but still chewy. Let stand for 2-3 minutes and fluff with a fork. Drain the remaining water if necessary. Transfer to a large bowl.
- For the vinaigrette, squeeze the roasted garlic clove into a small bowl and add the mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil. Mash the garlic as you whisk the dressing.
- To assemble the salad, combine the barley, asparagus and mushrooms, spinach, scallions, walnuts, parmesan and parsley.
- Drizzle in the vinaigrette, tossing to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
