Fresh & Healthy Flavours: A Zesty Salad for Summer Sharing
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Are you on the lookout for a fresh, vibrant recipe for Summer? Then look no further…
Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed and European Mushrooms have partnered up, sharing a delicious dish to accompany any Summer dish — a zesty lemony pearl barley salad packed with mushrooms, pistachios, and pomegranate.
Perfect for BBQs, summer entertaining, or packing up for a picnic, this dish brings together fresh, seasonal flavours with a wholesome twist.
Dr Saliha is not only a British doctor and celebrated chef but also the 2017 MasterChef UK winner. She’s the author of award-winning cookbooks like Khazana and her latest release, The 20 Minute Gut Health Fix. Her expert approach blends vibrant tastes with nutritious ingredients — making this salad a must-try for your summer content.
“I love mushrooms all year round, but particularly in the summer, in lighter dishes, like salads. One of my go-to recipes is a lemony pearl barley salad with mushrooms, pistachio and pomegranate which is full of protein and fibre. European mushrooms go really well in this dish, not only for their umami flavour but also their nutritional benefits, they are a source of B Vitamins, selenium, folate and fibre. And when UV-treated, they are a source of Vitamin D. They are just the boost of flavour and nutrition you need over the summer months and help to build immunity before the winter. So what are you waiting for make it a mushroom moment! Commented Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed.
Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed’s Lemony pearl barley salad with mushrooms pistachio and pomegranate
Ingredients:
300g mushrooms
4 tablespoons olive oil
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
400g precooked pearl barley
Juice of 1 large lemon
4 finely sliced spring onions
100g finely sliced pink radishes
100g halved cherry tomatoes
50g roughly chopped pitted olives
50g sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
Handful roughly chopped parsley
1 tbsp pistachios roughly chopped
1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
Salt to taste
Method
Wipe any mud off the mushrooms and slice them finely. Heat the oil in a large sized flat plan until it is hot but not smoking. Add the mushrooms to the pan and fry for 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally to allow the mushrooms to take on colour. In the last minute of cooking when the mushrooms look caramelised, add the cumin and chilli powder- stir well and turn off the heat, allowing the mushrooms to cool.
Add the pearl barley to a large bowl followed by the lemon juice, spring onions, radishes, cherry tomatoes, olives, sun dried tomatoes and parsley. Season generously with salt and mix everything well.
Lay the pearl barley salad onto the base of a large platter if serving right away or pack up in your Tupperware ready to go to a picnic. Scatter over the sautéed mushrooms, pistachios and pomegranate seeds.
Keeps well in the fridge for a few days
About Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed
Having been a passionate home cook all her life, Saliha battled 64 contestants in front of 6 million viewers to become the winner of MasterChef 2017.
A proud mother and wife, Saliha works as a doctor for the Imperial Trust hospitals in London, specialising in Gastroenterology. Balancing a life in food and medicine, Saliha has enjoyed appearing at various food festivals and shows across the country and is the author of four books. Her debut cookbook KHAZANA which built upon her reputation for recreating traditional South East Asian food in a modern and exciting way was voted ‘Best New Cookbook’ at the 2019 Observer Food Monthly Awards and Saliha was awarded the title of ‘Best Chef 2019’ at the British Restaurant Awards, as voted for by the public.
Her next book Foodology: A foodlovers guide to digestive health and happiness combines Saliha’s medical expertise with a passion for gut-friendly, delicious food and soared straight into the bestseller list when it was published in 2021, as did The Kitchen Prescription in Spring 2023. Saliha’s latest cookbook The 20 Minute Gut Health Fix was released in Spring 2025.
