Wheatberry Salad

After easing my way into summer, I fractured my ankle. It seems fitting, since things like this usually happen to me when the weather is finally nice outside. So spending hours standing in the kitchen testing recipes did not seem ideal – I decided to pull out my cookbooks and go from there.

I had recently picked up some wheatberries - they are an excellent source of fibre and they add a great crunchy texture to many salads, breads, or stews. Wheatberries are unprocessed wheat kernels that contain the germ, endosperm, and bran – with only the hull removed. Their nutritional profile is spectacular, so why not try them out!

You can usually find them in your bulk food section of a local health-food store, or you may order them from Bob’s Redmill. Store them in a cool dry place, or even the fridge to extend their shelf life. Before cooking them, make sure you give them a good rinse until the water runs clear. Then bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil for every 1 cup of wheatberries – you can drain out any excess if need be. I find they take about 1 hr of simmering to soften up, but they will still remain slightly al dente.

This particular salad is from Barefoot Contessa Family Style: Easy Ideas and Recipes That Make Everyone Feel Like Family(page 67). Unfortunately, I do not have permission to post this recipe but creating your own version will be just as good. Essentially you can play around with the ingredients as much as you like. Here there are finely diced red onions, red pepper, carrot, green onions – but I encourage you to use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

The dressing is flavoured with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper – very simple. The key here, is allowing the salad to sit so the wheatberries can absorb all the sauce. I served it at room temperature, which Ina recommends.