Wheat Berry Salad With Red Fruit

JanuaryBride's Note:

For this sweet and tart salad, wheat berries are blended with cranberries, apples and pecans and tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette—a winning combination. A perfect side dish to take to a potluck or simply serve it over a bed of peppery arugula for vegan lunch. Recipe from Eating Well March/April 2007. NOTE: cooking time is resting time. If you wish to sweeten your salad up a bit but don't have Agave, feel free to sub 1 T of honey. Also of note, using peaches and mango in place of the red fruit (thereby making this wheat berry salad with ORANGE fruit) would be delightful!!!! This salad is even better on day 2, so it's a great make ahead recipe.

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 10-12

Yield: 6.0 cups

• 1⁄3; cup freshly squeezed orange juice (the juice of 1 orange)
• 1⁄3; cup dried cranberries (dried cherries are even better in my opinion)
• 10 chopped red grapes (optional)
• 3 cups cooked wheat berries
• 1 large fuji apple , unpeeled, diced
• ½ cup pecan halves , toasted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (I used Blueberry Pomegranate Infused Red Wine Vinegar)
• 2 -3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine orange juice and cranberries in a small bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Combine wheat berries, apple and pecans (and grapes if using) in a large bowl; stir gently.
3. Drain the cranberries, reserving the juice. Stir the cranberries into the wheat berry mixture.
4. Whisk the reserved orange juice, vinegar and oil in a small bowl until combined. Add Agave/honey if using. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and stir gently to coat.
5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.
6. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Reviews

[DDW]

Love this salad - I've been making it since it came out in Eating Well. Thanks for sharing!

[magpie diner]

Wonderful salad! I used spelt berries instead of wheat, and had some raspberry balsamic vinegar on hand, which was perfect in this. Very light with great textures....I found it was sweet enough without hte agave, so I left it out. Thanks JB, another winner!

[4sweeper]

I made this recipe using strawberries instead of grapes because that is what I had on hand. It was a hit with my family. Thank-you!