Gravitating towards the bright flavours of summertime cooking, including all of my favourite things in one hearty lunch or dinner bowl, just feels right. It’s controllable and predictable and fills me with certainty.  

These two bowls, one including vibrant yellow beets, the other, roasted tomatoes, are anchored by a creamy barley salad, which exceeded my expectations in taste, texture and storability. This barley salad kept well for 4 days, staying perfectly moist, chewy and flavourful.

I’ve been experimenting with labneh (thick, drained yogurt), a recipe within a recipe I included in Whole Bowls, in myriad ways in my summer kitchen as a probiotic-packed replacement for mayonnaise. If you’re wondering how to make labneh, it’s simple: use full-fat, balkan-style (non-Greek) yogurt and strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve in the refrigerator over a bowl. The probiotic-rich whey collects in the bowl, which you can add to dressings, smoothies or drink straight-up. I used the whey in this salad, but you could just as easily use kefir.

As with all buddha bowls, make it your own, using what’s fresh and in-season in your area. 

Before the recipe, one more thought: I encourage you to do something good for someone else today. This could be as simple as sending a text to a friend to say you’re thinking of them, or cooking and sharing a homemade meal with those you love. Let’s make an effort to come together – something we need to do right now more than ever.   

Get the recipe for Roasted Tomato Buddha Bowls with Creamy Probiotic Yogurt Barley Salad here (pictured below)