Wheat Berry Salad with Beets and Feta
User Reviews
3.8
Wheat Berry Salad with Beets and Feta
Description
This salad starts with roasting whole beets until just tender but still firm, preserving their shape and natural sweetness. Once cooled and peeled, the beets are chopped into bite-sized pieces. Separately, wheat berries are cooked until they are tender yet chewy, drained, and cooled to maintain texture. The salad base balances the robust chew of the wheat berries with the sweetness and earthiness of both golden and red beets.
A vinaigrette made from extra virgin olive oil and a preferred vinegar—such as a honey white balsamic—is whisked with a pinch of salt to dress the salad. Fresh minced celery and red onion provide a subtle crunch, while chopped fresh dill and parsley infuse herbaceous notes. Before assembling, the beets are tossed lightly with some dressing to prevent color bleeding toward the wheat berries. Crumbled feta garnish adds creamy saltiness and completes the flavor profile.
The resulting salad has multiple layers of texture and balanced flavors, making it suitable for serving as a healthy side or vegetarian main. The combination of grains, roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, and creamy cheese provides satisfying complexity without heaviness.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch golden beets small to medium, quantity 2-3
- 1 bunch red beets small to medium, quantity 2-3
- 1 cup wheat berries or rye berries
- 1 celery stalk minced
- 1/3 cup red onion minced
- 1 bunch dill fresh, chopped, about 1/3 cup
- 1 bunch parsley fresh, chopped, about 1/3 cup
- salt fresh cracked, to taste
- black pepper fresh cracked, to taste
garnish
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4-6 tbsp vinegar I used O Olive Oil Honey White Balsamic, your favorite variety
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Trim the tops off the beets and put them in a single layer in a casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake until the beets are just tender, but not soft. Check with the tip of a sharp knife. I like them to be tender but still firm. The exact time will vary greatly depending on the size of your beets. Check small beets after 30 minutes, large beets after an hour. Let cool and then remove the skins. Chop the beets into bite sized chunks or wedges.
- Meanwhile cook the wheat berries according to the package directions, but check them for tenderness 10-15 minuted before the time allotted. I cook mine in 4 cups of water for about 40 minutes. You want them to be firm and chewy. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well and put into a large salad bowl.
- Whisk the oil and vinegar together with a pinch of salt. Start with 4 tablespoons of vinegar and taste it, you may want to add more.
- Toss the red beets with a little bit of the dressing to retard the color bleed.
- Add the rest of the beets, onions, celery, and herbs to the bowl and toss with the dressing. You can either add the red beets in now, or reserve them to tuck in just before serving, your choice. They will bleed their color into the salad the longer they sit.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least several hours.
- Garnish with crumbled feta cheese just before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6-8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 251 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 251kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 11mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 186mg | 8% |
| Potassium | 225mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 910IU | 18% |
| Vitamin C | 16mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 102mg | 10% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.8
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