Wheat Berry Salad With Red Fruit

Submitted by januarybride

"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. (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, I have made this with a peach and 2 apricots instead of the grapes and apple (thereby making this wheat berry salad with ORANGE fruit) and it is delightful!!!! This salad is even better on day 2, so it's a great make ahead recipe."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 6 cups
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 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
• 1⁄2 cup pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (feel free to use Blueberry Pomegranate Infused Red Wine Vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar (optional)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt (I only use a pinch)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (I use lemon 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!

 

[Debbwl]

Fantastic! Loved the taste of this salad. There is just so much to love about this salad. The chewy wheat berries, the way the pepper and honey play together (used the honey option mentioned in the description). Also loved the flavor from the raspberry vinegar. Another plus is that this can be made a day a head of time (made and tasted today, made for tomorrow's pot luck) and also that it can be served at room temp. Made as written using a granny smith apple instead of a Fuji as the Fuji's available were not very good. Will defiantly be making over and over.

 

[Feisty]

This was my first Wheat Berry Salad and it was very, very good. I added the zest of the orange as well as the juice and it added a nice zing to the flavors. It does last a few days, which is nice since it makes a lot, so I was able to take it to work for lunch for a couple of days. My husband won't touch it--he's not a fan of wheat berries--so I may cut the recipe in half next time, but I will definitely be making this again.