With their chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor, wheat berries combine beautifully with a wide variety of ingredients. Serve them at room temperature mixed with finely chopped scallions and herbs, mix them with chopped pecans and dried cranberries, or serve hot tossed with sautéed vegetables.
In this recipe we cook them in vegetable broth, add a seasoned dressing to the hot berries, and toss with fresh broccoli sprouts. If you can’t find broccoli sprouts, use another type of leafy micro-green or sprout.
Ingredients
- •2 liters (8 cups) vegetable broth, homemade or canned
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
- •473 ml (2 cups) uncooked wheat berries
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed orange juice
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) light oil such as sunflower oil or light olive oil
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) apple cider vinegar
- •2.5 ml (½ teaspoon) honey
- •Sea salt
- •Freshly ground black pepper
- •57 grams (2 ounces) fresh broccoli sprouts or other sprouts or micro-greens
Preparation
In a large pot, combine the broth and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the wheat berries, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the berries are just tender, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the orange juice, oil, vinegar, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
When the berries are tender but still a bit chewy, drain them of any excess liquid, leaving them in the warm pot. Stir the dressing and add it to the pot. Taste the mixture and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Add the broccoli sprouts or other micro-greens. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, or serve straight from the pot onto warmed plates.