BASIL WHEAT BERRY SALAD
A wheat berry is just a fancier name for a hulled wheat kernel. Once cooked you can use them in salads the same way you may use barley, quinoa, or rice. This dish uses red spring wheat berries, which is the most popular variety of wheat grown in Western Canada. If you can’t find red spring wheat berries, other wheat varieties can be substituted in.
Yield: Makes 10 cups.
July 02, 2019
BASIL WHEAT BERRY SALAD
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups red spring wheat berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp liquid honey
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 6 cups torn spinach or butter lettuce
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1 cup quartered and sliced English cucumber
- 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Combine water, wheat berries and bay leaves in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until tender, but slightly chewy, about 1 hour. Drain off excess water and rinse with cold water. Discard bay leaves. Cool completely.
- To make dressing, whisk oil, vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl.
- Combine cooled wheat berries, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to combine. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Nutritional analysis per 1 cup serving:
161 calories, 6.2 g fat, 5.1 g protein, 23.8 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 260 mg sodium