So the boyfriend and I have been buying pre-made Wheatberry Salad at our local grocery store’s deli counter, and finally decided we could do it better ourselves — and healthier and cheaper, too!
There is definitely less sugar in our version than the store-bought one, and a much higher veggie-to-grain ratio. We like it that way. I think this is definitely going to be a new staple around here, especially for the summer months.
For those of you scratching your heads in wonder in the bulk aisles: the wheatberries we picked up are hard winter wheat, higher in protein than the soft wheat varieties.
Wheatberry Salad
A Boyfriend Recipe, Serves 4
Wheatberries
- 2 1/2 c. water
- 1 c. hard winter wheatberries, rinsed
Veggies & Tasty Add-Ins
- 1/3 onion, finely diced
- 2 mini cucumbers, chopped
- 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 6 artichoke hearts (we use from a jar, drained), thinly sliced
- 4 sundried tomatoes (also from a jar, drained), finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 oz. feta cheese, cut into small cubes
Dressing
- zest of 1/2 a lime
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
Prepare Wheatberries: In a pot over high heat, bring water to a boil. Add wheatberries and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let cook for 45-50 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool.
Combine Salad: In a large bowl, combine cooked wheatberries with Veggies & Tasty Add-Ins.
Mix Dressing: Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Check that you like the flavours, and adjust if necessary.
When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing and enjoy!
Kitchen Operas 
This looks great, as usual….thanks! I luv wheatberries but admit to eating them mainly as a morning meal, same as porridge.
Will definitely give this a go….Hugs!
Beautiful! But what are wheatberries? I don’t think I’ve ever had them before. What do they taste like? I’d love to adapt this salad maybe using something I can find in Mexico.
Wheatberries are the whole (but hulled) wheat kernel… you grind them to make wheat flour!
I bet you could make a similar salad with any other grain… brown rice would be quite similar in texture/taste/size, smaller grains like quinoa or couscous could also be yummy!
What grains are easy for you to get in Mexico? Inquiring minds now want to know!
Oooh, Israeli couscous would be good too, but not sure if you can get that either…
Thanks for the ideas! Most grains aren’t really available here, sadly. Found millet once at my local Korean grocery store. And I can find quinoa at one of the organic stores, usually, and wild rice. My supermarket doesn’t carry anything except rice, white and brown. I miss all the variety that’s available in the States! But on the other hand, it’s *so* worth it when I get to bite into buttery avocado all year round… 🙂
I do miss some of the more toothsome grains, like bulgur. Will have to try to smuggle some back during my next trip to the States.
I must say, you’re only allowed to complain about grains if you send me all the good stuff: papaya, mango, plantains, oooooooooooh the avocados.
And your lemons! How do they taste like that?!
Yeah, you just don’t get to complain 😉
Will make today!—just happen to have some wheatberries in the cupboard….
thks looks great
YAY! I think you’ll love it.
You can also cut down on the cooking time by soaking the wheatberries in advance… I haven’t experimented with that yet, but it seems to be the recommendation in most books.
I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!