This wheat berry salad always wows those new to whole grains. The smokiness of the grilled tomatoes, creaminess of the eggplant, and haunting complexity of the spice paste create quite a sensation. Soft wheat berries have a toothsome starchy quality that works well in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup soft white wheat berries (like Bob’s Red Mill)
- 3 cups water
- sea salt, to taste
- 1-1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1-inch slices
- 1-1/2 pounds firm tomatoes, cored
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sumac (or lemon zest)
- ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine wheat berries and water with a pinch of salt in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 60-90 minutes, or until tender. Drain off any excess water, and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Heat grill to medium high. Brush eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Grill eggplant and tomatoes, turning occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until eggplant is tender all the way through, and tomato is slightly charred. Transfer all to a cutting board, remove any skin that peels off the tomatoes, and coarsely chop all. Transfer vegetables and all their juices to the mixing bowl with the wheat berries.
- In a mortar and pestle, pound together garlic with a pinch of salt to a paste. Whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and sumac. Heat a small frying pan over medium-low heat, and add paste to pan. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant, then whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and scrape into bowl with wheat berries and vegetables. Toss well, stir in parsley and serve.
Servings: 4
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