Wheat Berry Greek Salad

Earlier this week, diagnosis I asked you guys what you wanted to see more of on the blog. I got quite a few requests for salads, anabolics in-season produce and vegetarian dishes among others. It’s a total coincidence, sale but I already had this recipe ready to go. It’s a salad, cucumbers and tomatoes are in season and it’s vegetarian – 3 for 3.

I hope this one makes it into the rotation for a lot of you. For me, it’s the perfect salad to pack for lunch. It’s easy to make, travels well and keeps for a few days. It’s your basic Greek salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and feta, but I used wheat berries instead of lettuce and added chickpeas to make it even more hearty. I didn’t have any olives, but they would be a very welcome addition and I recommend you add them if you’ve got them.

The dressing is made with fruity olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano and tahini. It’s light and bright and refreshing. I also sprinkled the top with Za’atar, a Middle Eastern condiment made with sumac, thyme and sesame seeds, for a little bit of that exotic flavor, but that’s totally optional.

This salad is also versatile. Use your favorite grain – spelt, wheat berries, farro, couscous – or a combination of your those. It’s a dish that Tom and I both love and I think you’ll love too. It also makes you feel better about eating way too many of those Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip cookies.

[print_this text=’Print Recipe’]Wheat Berry Greek Salad

For the dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tsp. dried oregano

For the salad
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 large cucumber, diced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (or 1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced)
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked grains, such as wheat berries
1/4 lb. feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped black olives (optional)
1 tsp. Za’atar (optional)

Place all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until emulsified. Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the Za’atar in a very large bowl, drizzle with dressing and toss until thoroughly combined. Serve and sprinkle with Za’atar.

Makes about 6 servings as a main. [/print_this]