WHEATBERRY SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES AND GOAT CHEESE

Wheatberry Salad With Dried Cranberries and Goat Cheese image

A wheatberry is the whole wheat kernel. You can grind it to make flour, but if you boil it like a bean, you're left with a delicious whole grain that has a nutty flavor and pops in your mouth when you eat it. This simple wheatberry salad from Kim Quay, the owner of Comfort Food, a catering and prepared food business in Morrisville, Pa., is made with dried cranberries, sautéed red onion, carrots and celery then tossed with a light mustard vinaigrette. For a vegan version, omit the goat cheese.

Provided by Tara Parker-Pope

Time 1h30m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

1 pound organic red winter wheatberries, rinsed and soaked for several hours or overnight in copious water to cover
Salt and pepper
1 large red onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dried cranberries
4 ounces organic goat cheese
3 shallots
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons grain mustard
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
1 1/4 cups blended oil

Steps:

Place the wheatberries and their soaking water in a large pot. Add salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer one hour or until the grains are tender and beginning to splay. Turn off the heat, and allow the wheatberries to sit in the hot water for another 15 minutes. Drain and chill.
Prepare the vinaigrette. Place all vinaigrette ingredients except oil in food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then slowly add in oil to emulsify.
Sauté the onion, carrot and celery with the olive oil in a sauté pan. When vegetables are soft, remove from the heat and mix with cooked wheatberries. Add dried cranberries and toss with dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place in serving dish and crumble goat cheese on top.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 542, UnsaturatedFat 29 grams, Carbohydrate 57 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 9 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 456 milligrams, Sugar 17 grams, TransFat 0 grams