Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries are simply the grains of wheat that come from the wheat plant. These wheat kernels are a whole grain product and therefore have terrific health benefits. Wheat berries are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many other nutrients. Try this delicious recipe to get this whole grain into your diet.

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill. Wheat berry cook time: 50-60 minutes (with minimal monitoring).

Serves four as a main dish, eight as a side dish.

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 cup uncooked wheat berries*
• 6 cups water
• 1½ cups broccoli florets
• 5 medium chopped scallions (scallions are long, thin, white and green onions; use the full green and white length of the scallion except the little roots at one end)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), rinsed and drained

Dressing

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive, canola, or sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon crushed dried basil leaves
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• Dash of salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced**

Instructions

• Heat wheat berries and water to boiling in a large pot, stirring occasionally.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 50-60 minutes. Wheat berries should be tender, but still firm (remember, you can save time by precooking a large batch of wheat berries and freezing them; just thaw and use each time you want to enjoy this dish).
• Drain remaining water from wheat berries and let berries cool.
• Combine dressing ingredients in a tightly lidded or covered container and shake to mix well.
• Toss all salad ingredients together to mix.
• Add dressing to salad and toss to coat salad.
• Chill for 1 hour in refrigerator and serve cold.
• If using frozen wheat berries, salad does not need to be chilled. Instead, serve immediately.

Per serving (main dish): 350 calories; 56 grams of carbohydrates; 16 grams of protein; 7 grams of fat; 13 grams of fiber

Per serving (side dish): 175 calories; 28 grams of carbohydrates; 8 grams of protein; 3.5 grams of fat; 6.5 grams of fiber

* Look for wheat berries in the health food or bulk food section of your local grocery store. To save time, cook up a large batch of wheat berries and then freeze them for future use; 1 cup uncooked makes about 2 cups cooked wheat berries.

** To save time, you can use minced garlic in a jar; you can find garlic in a jar in the refrigerated produce section of your local grocery store.

If you are having trouble eating well because of cancer or its treatment, please see our information on Recipes for High-Calorie Eating. If you are having trouble eating well or have questions about your specific nutrition needs, please discuss this with your health care team.