Wheat Berry & Chickpea Salad W Olives & Feta Cheese - 26g Carbs, 5g
Fiber
From The Washington Post
8 servings
Here, the flavors of olives, artichokes, roasted red peppers and
feta cheese transport me to a small, sunbaked taverna somewhere
overlooking the Mediterranean. Give me a grilled fish and a
pitcher of cold white wine, and I would be set.
Wheat berry is the whole grain of wheat, before it has been
processed into bran, germ or flour. Some recipes call for
soaking the berries before cooking. But I’ve never had any
trouble cooking them in less than an hour in lightly salted
water. They have a lightly nutty flavor and are pleasant to
chew. They’re also relatively inexpensive and readily
available in bulk at Whole Foods and health food stores.
This dish can be made up to 3 days ahead without the feta
cheese and refrigerated in an airtight container. Add the
cheese just before serving.
1 cup wheat berries
Salt
1 cup (cooked or canned) drained and rinsed chickpeas (optional)
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup well-seasoned, oil-cured black olives (pits removed),
coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped marinated artichokes, drained
1/2 cup coarsely chopped radicchio
1/2 cup coarsely chopped arugula
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, diced
10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a kettle of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so
the water stays hot. Place the wheat berries in a small pan, adding
a generous pinch of salt. Cover with hot water from the kettle to
a depth of half an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce
heat to low and cook gently, checking frequently and adding a splash
or two of hot water as needed, up to a cup or so in total. The
berries are done when all the water has been absorbed and the
grains are plump and tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, if desired,
feta cheese, olives, artichokes, radicchio, arugula, roasted
peppers and tomatoes. Add the cooled wheat berries and stir to
combine. Add the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to
taste, stirring to combine. Serve at room temperature.
Per serving:
199 Calories, 8g Protein, 26g Carbs, 5g Dietary Fiber,
13g Fat, 7mg Cholesterol, 2g Saturated Fat, 262mg Sodium
Recipe tested by Leigh Lambert