If you’ve never had wheat berries, you’re in for a treat! These grains have a delightful chewiness and enough fiber to fill you up. Combine them with a mild vinaigrette, some fresh vibrant herbs, and a little tangy fruit, and you have the perfect salad.
You may need to search around to find wheat berries, also known as hard winter wheat. Whole Foods and other health food stores will have them in the bulk section. They cook up just like any other grain (barley or rice); I actually cooked mine in my rice cooker. This salad keeps in the fridge for a few days…so have some with dinner, or breakfast, or whenever you like. Also try subbing out the dried blueberries with raisins, dried cherries, minced dried apricots, dried cranberries – you get the idea.
Wheat Berry Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 cup wheat berries
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 3 green onions, diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- salt and pepper
- optional: a few tablespoons of crumbled feta or goat cheese
Directions:
- In a heavy pot with a lid, or in a rice cooker, pour in the wheat berries, as well as two cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- The wheat berries should absorb all the water from the pot. If not, drain them. Pour them into a large bowl. Add the blueberries, parsley, and green onions. Toss to mix.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat. When serving, you can sprinkle some crumbled feta or goat cheese over the top.
Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana
To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet
