Grain Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas and Lemon Yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups water
• ½ cup barley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas - rinsed, drained, and dried
• 1 pinch smoked paprika, or to taste
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 splash red wine
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped almonds
• ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice

Step 1

Bring some water to a boil in a saucepan, then add the barley. Cover it up, turn the heat down low, and let it simmer gently until the barley is nice and tender—this usually takes about 30 minutes. While that’s cooking, go ahead and preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle a tablespoon of oil over it. Spread the chickpeas on the sheet, sprinkle with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, then pop them in the oven. Let them bake until they're crispy, around 40 minutes, and then leave them in the oven to cool off for about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the shallot and garlic and cook until they soften and smell amazing, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and cook until they start to get tender, roughly 5 minutes. Throw in the mushrooms and cook for another minute or two. Pour in the red wine and let it simmer until it’s mostly evaporated, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the harissa and cook it for a minute more. Then add the broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season everything with salt and pepper, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Mix the crispy chickpeas and about a quarter cup of chopped parsley into the bowl.

Step 3

In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat and toast the almonds until they’re fragrant, around 2 to 3 minutes. Set them aside. For the lemon yogurt, simply mix together the yogurt, lemon zest, honey, and lemon juice in a small bowl.

Step 4

To serve, spoon the barley into bowls, top with the chickpea and veggie mixture, sprinkle on the toasted almonds, and finish with a dollop of the lemon yogurt. Scatter a little extra parsley on top for a fresh touch.