Wheat Berry Salad with Cranberries, Pecans & Goat Cheese
Prep 10M | Cook 60M | Enjoy in 1Hr 10M
This recipe is provided by Noshing with the Nolands.
Wheat is used in many forms and I loved working with the little wheat berry for this recipe. Wheat Berry Salad with Cranberries, Pecans and Goat Cheese is not only super healthy but deliciously addictive too! You will want to dive into more and more of this salad.
Not only are there wheat berries, cranberries, pecans and goat cheese in this salad but I also added in blueberries and mandarin oranges for color, flavor and another punch of healthy ingredients.
Are you familiar with wheat berries? They are essentially the whole kernel of the wheat plant minus the hull or husk. If wheat berries are ground you have whole wheat flour, Life’s Simple Ingredient.
The little wheat berry has only 300 calories per cup when they are cooked and is packed with fiber, protein and iron. These super tasty sprouts are loaded with vitamin E, which is a cell-protecting antioxidant. Plus, a good source of magnesium. Both of these are excellent for healthy bones and muscles.
You can enjoy this salad with or without the goat cheese. I liked adding it in at the end as it added a little creaminess and tang to the recipe.
Where can you find wheat berries? We found them in our local health food store in the bulk section. Life’s Simple Ingredient has so much potential for enjoying salads like this all summer long or all year round.
Ingredients:
2 cups wheat berries
7 cups cold water
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
100 grams pecan halves
170 grams of blueberries (1 clam shell)
1 can (284 ml.) mandarin, drained
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Goat cheese, crumbled for garnish
Directions:
- Rinse wheat berries well and pick through for any stones or unedibles. Fill a large pot with 7 cups of cold water. Add the wheat berries and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 60 min. Drain and let cool completely.
- Meanwhile toast the pecan halves in a 325F oven for about 5 min. or until fragrant, watching carefully.
- Mix cranberries with the orange juice and let sit for 15 min.
- Combine the cooled wheat berries with the pecans and blueberries.
- Drain the orange juice from the cranberries but reserve the juice for the dressing.
- Add the cranberries to the salad and toss well.
- In a small bowl whisk together the reserved orange juice with the vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour over the salad and add the mandarins. Toss gently.
- Garnish with goat cheese if desired before serving.
- To make ahead: Wheat berries can be cooked and refrigerated for up to 2 days or freeze well for a month. Make the salad just before serving for best results.
For more great recipes like this one, visit NoshingwiththeNolands.com.
