Summer Wheat Berry Salad

This salad will get you right back on track after a weekend of indulgences.  It is light but satisfying, tasty but healthy, easy but complex – you get the picture.

I love a good chopped salad with a smattering of some sort of grain.  We had cooked a batch of wheat berries this weekend so they were the lucky ones for this salad.

Wheat berries are a great grain for a salad because they are hearty and not prone to mushiness.  Also, they get better with age and really soak up the flavors of whatever dressing is used.

Any variety of vegetables would work for this salad.  I chose cucumbers, carrots, red cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and orange bell peppper because that is what I had on hand.  The dressing is a simple vinaigrette.

Summer Wheat Berry Salad

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup of shredded red cabbage

1 cup cherry tomatoes, chooped

1 cup orange bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of cooked wheat berries*

1 small handful of parsley, chopped

Dressing:

1/2 lemon, fresh squeezed

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

4 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey

Generous pinch of salt

 

Mix vegetables and cooked wheat berries thoroughly.  I had made the wheat berries previously but you could make the salad while the berries are still warm.  Pour dressing over mixture and mix well.  Enjoy!

*To cook wheat berries:  Rinse under cool water. Place in a saucepan and cover with liquid (you can use water or any type of broth.)  A ratio of 3:1 water to berries is a good rule of thumb. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.   Start checking for doneness around 30 min.  I like the berries with a bit of bite and chewiness.  Depending on how long the berries are it can take up an hour.  Strain off any remaining liquid.

Other additions that would be good for this salad: avocado, toasted walnuts, feta or goat cheese.