Wheat Berry Salad

I have these big buckets of wheat in my house that we got as food storage for a "rainy day". I used to always grind it into fresh flour to make homemade bread with, but I've found the older and busier my kids get, the less I actually get out my wheat grinder (or bake homemade bread). I found this recipe in a little recipe book a friend compiled and I was so excited to use my wheat in some other way than for flour. I loved the hearty texture, and look forward to trying it again and experimenting with other wheat berry recipes.

**NOTE: If you do not happen to have buckets of wheat sitting around your house, you can find wheat berries at your local natural food store. Our Whole Foods grocery store sells them in the bulk section for $1.29/lb. **

Click here for Printable Recipe.

The ingredients:
1 cup hard winter wheat berries
3 cups water
1 cup finely diced red onion
6 Tbs. olive oil, divided
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
3 scallions, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Place the wheat berries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a sauce pan and cook, uncovered over low heat for about 45 minutes or until soft. Drain.

Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium low heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, onions, scallions, red pepper, carrot, salt, and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheat berries to absorb the sauce. Season to taste and serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!