Wheat Berry Salad Recipe

Refreshing. Hearty. Crunchy. Flavorful. I would say those are the best terms to describe this meal, but let’s be real here, it’s best to just find out for yourself by taking a bite of it! Pair this dish with a bowl of soup, top onto a bed of leafy greens, or pair with grilled tofu or another plant-based side dish. Yum!

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat berries
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1.5 cups celery, diced
• 1 green or red apple, diced
• 1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 firmly pressed cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other favorite dried fruit)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• The juice of 1 large lemon; lemon zest optional
• The juice of 1/2 an orange
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add the wheat berries and wild rice, lower the temperature to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 45min to 1 hour, until both the rice and wheat berries are tender. Once fully cooked and tender, drain them using a colander.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dried cranberries and diced onion, apple, pecans, celery, and cilantro.
3. Make the dressing. In a small mason jar mix the lemon juice, lemon zest if using, orange juice, olive oil, and salt & pepper. (For a quick way to evenly mix these ingredients, it helps to put a lid on the mason jar and shake it up).
4. Add the drained and cooked wild rice and wheat berries to the large bowl of ingredients.
5. Mix in the dressing to fully coat the ingredients. Chill for a few hours, and serve. Enjoy!

Recipe and photo by Shari Brown. Visit @Naturallyfueled on Instagram for more meals like this one!