Wheat Berry Salad

Name: Wheat Berry Salad
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup wheat berries (can use pearl wheat instead); 3 cups water; kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp honey, plus more to taste; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 1 green onion, sliced thinly; 1 corn on the cob, optional; ⅓ cup dried cranberries; ⅓ cup nuts or seeds of choice (I used pumkin seeds and candied pecans); ⅓ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional; chives, parsley or mint, chopped, for garnish, optional; ½ cup anything else you wish to add to the salad (chopped carrots, peas, bell peppers, etc.)

Written by Ellen Published on September 3, 2019 in

Yields4 Servings

1 cup wheat berries (can use pearl wheat instead)

3 cups water

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp honey, plus more to taste

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 green onion, sliced thinly

1 corn on the cob, optional

⅓ cup dried cranberries

⅓ cup nuts or seeds of choice (I used pumkin seeds and candied pecans)

⅓ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional

chives, parsley or mint, chopped, for garnish, optional

½ cup anything else you wish to add to the salad (chopped carrots, peas, bell peppers, etc.)

Combine wheat berries, water and a pinch of salt in a medium pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook covered for 30-50 minutes. The exact timing may vary depending on the freshness of your berries. Check after 30 minutes - the berries should be chewy but not tough. Mine took just under 40 minutes.

Drain the berries and let cool completely.

While your berries are boiling, prepare the corn, if using. You may simply boil it and shave off the cob.

I grilled the corn directly over high heat of the grill for about 10 minutes turning every two minutes or so. Charring the corn brought some interesting smokiness to the dish. Shave the kernels off and set aside.

Combined cooled wheat berries, corn, if using, celery, green onions, seeds and nuts, cranberries and anything else you may wish to add. Drizzle with olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Toss the salad, taste and season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a bowl and garnish with optional cheese and herbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.