Beet, Walnut, Wheat Berry Salad With Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
photo by magpie diner
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Yields:
-
6 main courses
- Serves:
- 6
ingredients
- 2 cups wheat berries
- 1⁄4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 15 ounces black beans (or cook your own legumes)
- 6 beets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 5 diced scallions
- 1 diced bunch cilantro (approximately 1 cup after chopping)
- 2 limes (you'll use the zest and juice)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
directions
- Cook the wheat berries in salted water until softened and chewy. You can either soak overnight to reduce cooking time; bring to a boil, remove from heat and then let soak a few hours in advance; or bring to a boil and simmer until cooked through. It is important to salt the water when cooking the grains so they absorb the salt and have flavor--but don't over salt!
- Once the wheat berries are cooked to your desired consistency, drain them and drizzle with the rice wine vinegar (they absorb more flavor now than when they cool).
- Heat oven to 400°F While the wheat berries are cooking, cut the tops and bottoms off the beets, peel, and cube into 1/2" pieces. In a bowl, toss cubed beets with the 2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste. Spread evenly on a cooking sheet (preferably lined w/parchment paper for no stick cooking and easy clean-up). Cook beets until they are beginning to caramelize (approximately 30 - 45 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit.
- In a large bowl, add cooked wheat berries, drained beans (or other legume), roasted beets, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, scallions, cilantro, lime zest and juice, and olive oil. Stir well. Taste. Season with more salt, acid (either more citrus juice or vinegar), or oil to bring the flavors in to balance.
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Reviews
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Great recipe I'll make many times I'm sure. I really love wheat berries (spelt berries in my case), and appreciated the simple dressing. The beets were fantastic. In the end I didn't bother opening the tin of black beans I had to go with this, because I liked it so much as-is. I also goofed and forgot the green onions & cilantro at the market. Will make again using chickpeas or lentils. Thanks!
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Because I had to make so many changes, I am not assigning stars, but I have to say, I suspect this would be a five star recipe. I did not have beans, cilantro, rice vinegar or walnuts. I still had a very tasty salad at the end of the day. I love wheat berries, and cook them in my rice cooker. I had roasted beets already available, so did not caramelize mine, which I am sure added to the taste. Used balsamic instead of rice wine vinegar, and I think that went well with the ingredients. I woldl probably hold back a bit on the lime juice - limes do vary in acidity and mine were perhaps a tad too tart. Still, all in all, even with my massive changes, this was a very enjoyable salad.
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Tweaks
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Because I had to make so many changes, I am not assigning stars, but I have to say, I suspect this would be a five star recipe. I did not have beans, cilantro, rice vinegar or walnuts. I still had a very tasty salad at the end of the day. I love wheat berries, and cook them in my rice cooker. I had roasted beets already available, so did not caramelize mine, which I am sure added to the taste. Used balsamic instead of rice wine vinegar, and I think that went well with the ingredients. I woldl probably hold back a bit on the lime juice - limes do vary in acidity and mine were perhaps a tad too tart. Still, all in all, even with my massive changes, this was a very enjoyable salad.