Sylvia Davatz's Wheat Berry Salad
May 7, 2021
Sylvia’s wheat berry salad is a flavorful and nourishing expression of her belief in the importance of self-sufficiency and thinking of gardening as more than just a source of summer vegetables, but also a source of pantry staple grains and crops that can sustain us through our long winter months. Read more about this recipe from Kitchen Vignettes.
- Servings
- 3-4 servings
- Course
- Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup hard wheat berries
- ½ cup toasted hazelnuts (or walnuts)
- 3 oz. feta, cubed
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh dill
- 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
-
Soak the wheat berries overnight in water (this step is optional but will allow the grains to cook more quickly and make their nutrients more digestible). The next day, drain and then cook the berries in a pot of boiling water, exactly as you would cook pasta. The cooking time can vary so at the 30-minute mark, begin to taste the grains every 5 or 10 minutes. The grains are ready when they are soft, with a nice chew but no crunch (usually after 30 to 45 minutes of cooking). Remove from heat, drain, and give a quick rinse with cold water. Let them drain and cool fully before transferring to a salad bowl. (This is the same process for farro, spelt, einkorn, whole oat, barley, and rye berries so once you’ve made this wheat berry salad, you can experiment with other grains too. Just keep in mind some cook more quickly than others.)
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Add all the remaining ingredients and toss the salad well to mix everything together. Taste and if needed, add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to suit your taste. Allow the salad to sit for 30 minutes or so before serving, so the flavors intermingle. Enjoy!