Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries were something new for me. I had seen this recipe done on the Food Network show Healthy Appetite and realized that I had eaten them before, but never seen them in the store. Off I went to the Food Coop and the bulk bins. They had both hard and soft berries, so I opted for the soft and got about a cup and a half of them.

Wheat berries are the whole wheat kernel before it has been stripped of the bran and germ. It is a true whole grain packed with nutrients. When cooked, it is a chewy kernel with a nutty flavor. You can use it in salads or even eat it for breakfast with milk and honey or your favorite cereal toppings. If you are industrious, you can grind raw wheat berries into your own whole wheat flour.

The first step for the salad is to boil the wheat berries for about an hour to get them tender. Then you can combine them with chopped veggies, herbs, and lemon juice and voila! You have a super healthy salad. Basically this is the same recipe as my quinoa salad, just with wheat berries.

Wheat berry salad

1 c wheat berries, cooked and drained
2 ears of white corn or canned
1/2 c chopped red onion
1/2 c chopped bell pepper
1/4 c raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
Juice from one large lemon
Fresh ground salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the corn and after it has cooled, cut off the kernels into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Toss together and enjoy!