Wheat Berry Salad with Strawberries and Dried Cherries

VeggieYogi ♦ May 7, 2012 ♦ Leave a comment

I first discovered wheat berries several months ago at the Sweet Tomatoes salad bar and was immediately hooked.Not only are they good for you, but they are also delicious and make a very satisfying salad.

In making this recipe I learned that a little bit of uncooked wheat berry goes a long way. Three cups of uncooked wheat berries makes eight cups of cooked wheat berries. So I’ll be writing about wheat berries again soon since I now have 4 cups of leftover cooked wheat berries in my freezer that I need to decide what to do with!

Wheat berries have recently become more popular and commonly available. They are a superfood and consist of the entire wheat kernel–bran, germ and endosperm. Since they are not processed they retain their nutrients and are an excellent source of fibre. Studies have shown that whole grains can help prevent, cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe from Eating Well.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 1/2 cups uncooked wheat berries
3/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1 1/2 cups strawberries, diced
1 cup pecan pieces
2 stalks celery, finely chopped

For the dressing:
3 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
2 tbsp orange juice

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Place wheat berries in large pot and fill with water so there is approximately 2 inches of water above the wheat berries. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for an hour or until tender adding extra boiling water as necessary. I had to cook mine for a little over an hour and used the kettle to add extra water as it boiled off. Drain off excess water and let cool.