Barley Salad with Speck Alto Adige PGI

1. For the barley salad with Speck Alto Adige PGI, rinse the pearl barley with water, place it in a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 25 minutes or according to the package instructions. Add salt only towards the end of the cooking time. Drain the barley, place it in a bowl, mix with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and let it cool.
2. Meanwhile, cut the sun-dried tomatoes into strips and set aside. Wash the arugula and cherry tomatoes. Roughly chop the arugula and halve the cherry tomatoes.
3. Trim the rind off the Speck Alto Adige PGI and cut it into thin strips.
4. Once the barley has cooled down, add the sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, cherry tomatoes, Speck Alto Adige PGI, mozzarella balls, Taggiasca olives and basil leaves. Season with salt and pepper, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mix everything well.
5. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
6. Serve the barley salad with a few slices of Speck Alto Adige PGI on the side.

Tip

If preparing the barley salad the day before or well in advance, take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving.