Lentil & Wheatberry Salad
Submitted by carolyn921
Lentil and wheat berry salad tossed with fresh vegetables and herbs in a fat-free red wine vinegar dressing. High-fiber, vegan, and endlessly customizable with whatever produce you have on hand.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
30COOK
READY
This grain salad pairs chewy wheat berries with tender lentils and whatever fresh vegetables you’ve got in the crisper. It’s the kind of recipe that works as a flexible template rather than a rigid formula.
Wheat berries need about 45 minutes to an hour of simmering. You want them tender but still with that satisfying pop when you bite down. Mushy wheat berries lose their whole appeal. The lentils cook faster at around 30 minutes, and the same rule applies: done but holding their shape.
Chilling the grains before tossing with the vegetables is key. Warm grains wilt delicate veggies and absorb too much dressing. Go easy on the vinaigrette too. You want a light coating, not a pool at the bottom of the bowl. A fat-free red wine vinegar dressing keeps this whole dish incredibly lean while the flecks of red pepper in the dressing add pops of color.
Kitchen Tips
- Sort your lentils carefully before cooking. Small stones sometimes hide in the bag and cracking a tooth ruins any meal.
- Cook the wheat berries and lentils simultaneously in separate pots to save time.
- Let both grains cool completely before adding vegetables. Patience here pays off in texture.
- Pair with crusty sourdough bread for a filling plant-based lunch.
Variations
- Add crumbled feta or goat cheese if you’re not keeping it vegan.
- Swap wheat berries for farro or barley for a slightly softer texture with the same nutty chew.
- Toss in roasted sweet potato cubes for a heartier fall version.
Ingredients
Directions
Put wheat berries and 2 cups water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 min to 1 hour, until berries are tender, but still chewy (not mushy).
Sort lentils, removing any deformed ones and any stones that may be mixed in.
Rinse a couple of times, then put them in saucepan with 1 cup of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes, again, so they are done but not mushy.
When both lentils and wheatberries are done, drain any excess water, put into large bowl and chill while you cut up vegetables.
Vegetables can vary according to what you have on hand.
Can include yellow summer squash, green pepper, sweet onion, peas, mushrooms, etc.
Herbs can include parsley, and or basil.
For a dressing use fatfree red wine vinegar dressing--just enough to coat everything, but not so much that it is swimming in dressing.
The bits of red pepper in the dressing also added a little more color to the salad.
Toss everything together well and chill.
Served this with a crusty sourdough bread.
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