Goat's cheese tabbouleh salad

A modern twist on the classic mezze salad, this tabbouleh salad is packed with fresh mint, topped with sweet pomegranate and creamy goat’s cheese.

25 minutes prep. time
20 minutes cooking time
Serves 4
Salads & light bites, Vegetarian

Goat's cheese tabbouleh recipe | © National Trust Images/William Shaw

For the salad

200g pearl barley
50ml extra virgin rapeseed oil
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground mixed spice
1 lemon, juice and zest
25g honey
15g mint
40g flat-leaf parsley
175g tomato, finely diced
3 spring onions
Salt and cracked black pepper

For the croutons

4 slices bread

To serve

200g goat's cheese, cut into 4 slices
40g rocket
1 pomegranate, seeds

For the dressing

2 tsp honey
1 tsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp chopped fresh mint

Goat's cheese and croutons

Try to get goat's cheese that comes in a roll so you can cut discs from it, using a hot knife to prevent it breaking. Sourdough breads work especially well for the croutons.

Step 1

For the salad

Rinse the pearl barley well, place in a pan and cover with cold water, add a sprinkle of salt and place on the hob. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, adding more water as necessary.

Step 2

Place the oil, cinnamon, mixed spice, lemon juice and honey in a bowl, mix well and add the hot barley, stir well then leave until cold.

Step 3

Finely chop the mint and the parsley.

Step 4

Add the tomatoes, spring onions, chopped mint and parsley to the cold barley mixture and stir well. Season well with the salt and pepper.

Step 5

For the croutons

Use a pastry cutter that is slightly bigger than the diameter of the cheese and cut four discs from the bread. Place on a tray and toast under the grill until golden.

Step 6

To serve

Place the rocket in the bowl with the salad and mix to evenly distribute, place a portion in your serving bowl.

Step 7

Place a disc of goat's cheese on each of your croutons and put back under the grill or in the oven until lightly melting. If you have a blowtorch, use this to toast the outside of the cheese.