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Barley with Eggs and Spinach

Cooked barley in a bowl with wilted spinach and a runny egg.
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5 from 2 reviews

Barley with Eggs and Spinach is a quick, healthy dinner made with garlicky barley, baby spinach and soft, creamy eggs. 

Note: You'll need cooked barley for this recipe. Follow this barley recipe  to make barley in your Instant Pot or on the stove top. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I use a garlic press)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (or cumin, curry powder or your favorite spice)
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked barley
  • 1 to 2 large handfuls baby spinach
  • 2 to 4 eggs (depending on how much you like eggs)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Saute olive oil, garlic, tomato paste and coriander in a wide skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring almost constantly. You want the garlic and tomato paste to be lightly cooked without browning or sticking to the pan.
  2. Add 1/4 cup water and stir to blend until smooth. Simmer for 30 seconds or so.
  3. Add the cooked barley. Mix well with the tomato paste. Warm the barley for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. 
  4. Add spinach. Turn heat to medium low. Cook until the spinach is wilted to your liking.
  5. Push the barley and spinach to one side of the skillet. Drizzle more olive oil (a tablespoon or two) on the empty side of the skillet.
  6. Cook the eggs in the olive oil on the empty side of the skillet. I like to break the yolks, but not scramble the eggs, so they turn out like soft, runny fried eggs. You can choose to follow my method, or make scrambled eggs or fried eggs - your choice! 
  7. Serve the eggs with the barley and spinach. 

Notes

This sort of combination - grain, spinach and eggs - can be made with any type of cooked grain. Try farro or quinoa instead of barley.

I keep a tube of tomato paste in the refrigerator, for recipes that only require a tablespoon or two. 

You can substitute cumin or curry powder for the coriander. 

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/barley-with-eggs-spinach/