Kimchi, Tofu and Barley Bowls with Sesame Greens

Why it works

Kimchi is one of the few fermented foods with human trial evidence rather than only enthusiasm, with small randomized studies reporting improvements in gut symptoms and metabolic markers. It is also alive, which means it belongs in the bowl at serving rather than cooked into it, and that is how this is built. Barley is the quiet ingredient doing the heaviest lifting: it carries more beta-glucan than oats and holds its chew for days in a fridge, where rice goes hard and quinoa goes to paste. Crisping the tofu properly, in a hot dry pan until it releases on its own, is what stops the protein element being the sad part of a packed lunch. The sesame dressing supplies fat, which the greens need for their carotenoids.

Ingredients

• 200 g pearl barley
• 400 g firm tofu, pressed and cubed
• 200 g kimchi, roughly chopped
• 300 g spinach or chard, wilted and squeezed dry
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp neutral oil for frying

Method

1. Simmer the barley in plenty of water for 25 to 30 minutes until tender with a little chew, then drain and spread on a tray to cool quickly. Cooling it fast is what keeps the grains separate.
2. Heat the neutral oil in a non-stick pan until properly hot, add the tofu in one layer, and leave it alone for three to four minutes. It will release when it has crisped; moving it early is why tofu sticks.
3. Turn and crisp the other sides, then set aside.
4. Toss the wilted greens with the sesame oil, soy, vinegar, and sesame seeds.
5. Assemble four containers: barley, then greens, then tofu, with the kimchi in its own corner or a separate pot. Scatter the spring onion on at serving.