Pork Chops & Honey-Mustard Pan Sauce with Creamy Barley Salad

Pork Chops & Honey-Mustard Pan Sauce

with Creamy Barley Salad

55 MIN
2 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
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Vegetarian
These recipes don’t contain meat, poultry, fish, or seafood.* They’re made with fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. *Select artisanal cheeses may contain animal-derived rennet.
Carb Conscious
These meals have 48g or less of net carbs (total carbs minus dietary fiber) per serving. They replace refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
600 Calories Or Less
Coming in at 600 calories or less per serving, these recipes are ideal for those choosing to monitor their caloric intake without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration uses 2000 calorie daily intake for general advice. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of the total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Wellness Grain
These recipes feature grains such as barley, quinoa, farro, orzo, couscous and more, handpicked by our Culinary team in collaboration with our Registered Dietitian.
Pescatarian
These recipes feature a wide array of nutritious seafood options like salmon, cod, tilapia, crab, and shrimp. While these dishes never contain meat, pork or poultry, they may contain animal derived ingredients such as milk, butter, cheese and/or honey.
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From the Test Kitchen

We’re celebrating the best of simple, seasonal cooking with saucy pork chops and a vegetable-packed barley salad. The nutty barley creates a perfect base for sautéed carrots and Vidalia onion, an extra-sweet variety grown in Georgia. A bit of yogurt gives the salad delectable creaminess, while fresh tarragon adds an herbal finish. We’re topping off our pork chops with a pan sauce that highlights the classic flavor combination of honey and Dijon mustard, plus cucumber marinated in honey and vinegar for pops of tangy sweetness.

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  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    770 Cals (est.)
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tips & techniques
Cook the barley:
1 Cook the barley:

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the barley and cook, uncovered, 25 to 27 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process; return to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the ingredients & marinate the cucumber:
2 Prepare the ingredients & marinate the cucumber:

While the barley cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots and halve lengthwise; cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Peel and small dice the onion. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Peel the cucumber, leaving alternating strips of skin intact. Halve lengthwise; using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Medium dice the cucumber. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, half the honey (kneading the packet before opening), half the tarragon, ¼ of the vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Cook the vegetables:
3 Cook the vegetables:

While the barley continues to cook, in a medium pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

Cook the pork chops:
4 Cook the pork chops:

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned pork chops and cook 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and set aside in a warm place to rest for at least 5 minutes. Carefully drain off and discard any drippings from the pan.

Make the pan sauce:
5 Make the pan sauce:

While the pork chops rest, to the pan of reserved fond, add ¼ cup of water, the mustard, the remaining honey, and the remaining vinegar (be careful, as the liquid may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened and saucy. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the barley salad & plate your dish:
6 Make the barley salad & plate your dish:

Reserving the marinating liquid, drain the marinated cucumber. To the pot of cooked barley, add the cooked vegetables, almonds, yogurt, reserved marinating liquid, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the barley salad between 2 dishes. Top with the rested pork chops, pan sauce, and marinated cucumber (you may have extra cucumber). Garnish with the remaining tarragon. Serve with any remaining cucumber on the side. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

1 Cook the barley:

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the barley and cook, uncovered, 25 to 27 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process; return to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

2 Prepare the ingredients & marinate the cucumber:

While the barley cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots and halve lengthwise; cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Peel and small dice the onion. Roughly chop the almonds. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Peel the cucumber, leaving alternating strips of skin intact. Halve lengthwise; using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Medium dice the cucumber. In a medium bowl, combine the cucumber, half the honey (kneading the packet before opening), half the tarragon, ¼ of the vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

Cook the vegetables:
3 Cook the vegetables:

While the barley continues to cook, in a medium pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

4 Cook the pork chops:

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned pork chops and cook 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer the cooked pork chops to a plate and set aside in a warm place to rest for at least 5 minutes. Carefully drain off and discard any drippings from the pan.

Cook the pork chops:
Make the pan sauce:
5 Make the pan sauce:

While the pork chops rest, to the pan of reserved fond, add ¼ cup of water, the mustard, the remaining honey, and the remaining vinegar (be careful, as the liquid may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes, or until thickened and saucy. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6 Make the barley salad & plate your dish:

Reserving the marinating liquid, drain the marinated cucumber. To the pot of cooked barley, add the cooked vegetables, almonds, yogurt, reserved marinating liquid, and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to thoroughly combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the barley salad between 2 dishes. Top with the rested pork chops, pan sauce, and marinated cucumber (you may have extra cucumber). Garnish with the remaining tarragon. Serve with any remaining cucumber on the side. Enjoy!

Make the barley salad & plate your dish:
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