Summer Wheat Berry Salad

Chimichurri is a flavorful, tangy herb sauce that originated in Argentina. It’s traditionally served as a condiment for grilled meats, but its punchy flavors are fantastic on just about anything. Since one of the dominant ingredients is red wine vinegar, you can use it as a dressing, making it perfect for a summery salad like this one. Here, the zesty combination of parsley, cilantro, garlic and hot pepper livens up the earthy flavor and texture of wheat berries. The addition of crisp cucumbers, juicy sweet corn kernels and cherry tomatoes creates a refreshing, light meal. If you like, you could choose another large grain in place of the wheat berries, like spelt berries, wild rice or Israeli couscous.

Summer Wheat Berry Salad with Chimichurri Dressing

Make 6 portions (1 cup each)

3/4 cup wheat berries, soaked overnight
1 ear sweet corn
1 medium Middle Eastern cucumber, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:
1 cup roughly chopped parsley
1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Drain and rinse wheat berries, place in a pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until tender. Drain well and set aside to cool; then place in a medium bowl.

Steam corn for 2 minutes. Allow to cool; then cut off corn kernels and add to the wheat berries along with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and red onion.

Make the dressing:

Add all dressing ingredients to a bowl and stir well. Drizzle over salad, mix until combined and serve.

Per serving: Calories 191; Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat 1 g; Protein 6 g; Carbohydrates 27 g; Sugar 3 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 210 mg

Amy Chaplin is a chef and recipe developer based in New York City. She is the author of the award winning cookbook At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen. See more of Amy’s recipes at amychaplin.com.

from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy Living Blog http://ift.tt/1E28FUx