Could this be your new go-to ancient Greek grains salad (with vegan and gluten-free versions)?

Prominent Melbourne human rights advocate Kon Karapanagiotidis and his mother, Sia, have collated more than 100 Greek vegetarian and vegan recipes in A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia.

Kon will donate 100 per cent of his proceeds from the cookbook to his organisation, The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and publisher Hardie Grant will also give $1 from each book sold.

Here, Kon and Sia share a versatile salad recipe that’s perfect to enjoy with family and friends.

Ancient Greek grains salad

Essential to the Greek way of life since ancient times, barley has been used not only for making wine and beer but for making porridge and flour for our bread as well.

This salad is packed with so much goodness – barley is low GI and high in dietary fibre and vitamin B1, and puy lentils have one of the highest amounts of protein of any pulses. Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants and flavonoids and the almonds are rich in vitamin E and magnesium.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g Puy lentils, rinsed
• 200g pearl barley, rinsed
• 30g (1 cup) flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
• 20g (1 cup) mint, chopped
• 390g (2½ cups) whole almonds, plus extra to serve
• seeds of 1½ pomegranates, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 80ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 tbsp pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 50g Greek feta

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot or saucepan of water to the boil, add lentils and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until tender, then drain and rinse well.
2. Meanwhile, in a separate large pot or saucepan, boil barley for 25-30 minutes, or until tender, then drain and rinse well. Combine cooked lentils and barley in a bowl.
3. Add herbs, almonds, pomegranate seeds and pomegranate molasses and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine.
4. To give your salad an extra dash of beautiful colour, it is worth topping it with some more pomegranate seeds and almonds so the colours really stand out. Add pistachios and crumble feta over the salad, then drizzle with extra oil to serve.

Serves 6

Make it vegan: By using a vegan feta.

Make it gluten-free: By replacing the barley with millet.

What to do with leftovers: This is a salad that will easily keep for a week if refrigerated and covered. Make a whole new salad by adding spinach, rocket and Greek feta.

This is an edited extract of A Seat at My Table: Philoxenia by Kon and Sia Karapanagiotidis, Hardie Grant Books, RRP $45. Photography: Sarah Pannell. Buy now