Featured Recipe
Wheat Berry Kale Salad Greek Yogurt Dressing
By Kate
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Wheat berries simmered until nearly tender, tossed with kale added last minute for a slight bite. A tangy Greek yogurt dressing balanced with cider vinegar and whole grain mustard. Crisp green grapes swapped for red for sharp contrast. Walnuts replaced with toasted pecans for deeper nuts. Cheddar instead of feta adds creamier, milder cheese presence. Textures: chewy wheat, crunchy nuts, juicy grapes, crisp kale. Aromatics: garlic’s subtle punch in dressing, raw shallots mellowed by hot wheat. Vinegar cuts richness; honey rounds tartness. Oil finish moistens without greasiness. Refreshing, hearty salad for lunches or light dinners.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Serves:
4 servings
salad
healthy
quick meals
vegetarian
Introduction
Wheat berries are overlooked but worth the slow simmer. Dense, nutty. Gives texture no ordinary grain can match. Kale chopped fine, doesn’t get overcooked — tossed right at end, just wilted enough to lose toughness but still hold bite. Swap sweet green grapes for sharper red ones to add zing and pop visually. Pecans toast up deeper and crust well, a better alternative if walnuts aren’t your thing. Cheddar instead of feta shifts from tangy to creamy, less salty. Greek yogurt dressing carries acid with mustard grainy texture, garlic punches through but never overwhelms. Honey replaced by agave syrup for cleaner sweetness. The oil presence, subtle, slicks salad without grease pooling. Layering flavor, exact textures. Timing, temperature matter — no mush allowed.
Ingredients
Wheat and Kale
- 140 g (3/4 cup) wheat berries, rinsed
- 70 g (2 cups) de-stemmed kale, roughly chopped
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) full-fat Greek yogurt
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) grapeseed oil, plus more for salad
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar
- 10 ml (2 tsp) whole grain mustard
- 5 ml (1 tsp) agave syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 175 g (1 cup) halved red seedless grapes
- 35 g (1/3 cup) toasted pecans, roughly chopped
- 40 g (1/3 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Dressing
Salad additions
About the ingredients
Wheat berries need soaking for faster cooking — overnight if you want, but not mandatory. If pressed for time, quick boil 10 then simmer slow with lid cracked. Don’t rush cooking or you get chewy hard centers. Kale—always remove stems; they stay fibrous and bitter even after cooking. Slice onions thin, raw sharpness cuts when hot wheat hits them, smoothing their intensity. For nuts, pecans or almonds work well toasted, walnuts can be bitter if over-toasted. Cheddar chosen for milder melt versus feta’s crumbly punch but can swap back if preferred. Yogurt 0% works, but full-fat adds richness. Agave syrup is a neutral sweetener alternative to honey; maple syrup adds earthiness if you prefer. Oil can be grapeseed, sunflower—neutral flavor; olive oil too strong, may clash with mustard.
Method
Wheat and Kale
- 1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add wheat berries and cook 60-65 minutes. Test by biting — wheat berries should be tender with slight chew but not mushy.
- 2. At last 3 minutes of cooking, throw kale and sliced onion into pot. The kale wilts but retains fresh bite; onions soften lightly, lose sharpness but stay present.
- 3. Drain everything promptly in a colander. Run under cold water to stop cooking and cool slightly. Shake off well; too wet wilts salad and dilutes flavors. Transfer to large bowl.
- 4. Meanwhile, whisk Greek yogurt, grapeseed oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, agave, and garlic in small bowl until creamy and homogenous. Taste. Adjust vinegar or sweetener for balance.
- 5. Add grapes and toasted pecans to wheat concoction. Drizzle a tablespoon grapeseed oil for silkiness. Season with salt and cracked black pepper; toss gently but thoroughly.
- 6. Sprinkle shredded cheddar evenly over top. Drizzle dressing over salad just before serving to prevent wilting.
- 7. Serve at room temp or chilled briefly. Leftovers keep well but store dressing separately if possible to avoid sogginess.
Dressing
Salad assembly
Technique Tips
Cooking wheat berries demands checking texture, not clock-driven. Should give a slight resistance, not break apart. Add kale and onions last 3 minutes to preserve texture contrast. Don’t overcook kale; watch color shift to deep green, no dulling. Chill wheat salad quickly under cold water to arrest heat, firm texture. Dressing whisked cold before assembly provides brightness; if yogurt is cold, whisk vigorously to avoid lumps. When tossing, add oil to coat wheat and prevent dryness; oil also carries flavor and mouthfeel. Cheese sprinkled last to control melting—avoid mixing to prevent clumping. Serve fresh; salad holds 1-2 days but pour dressing only when serving to avoid sogginess. Leftovers reheat awkwardly so best cold.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Wheat berries, soak overnight for tenderness. Or boil then simmer with lid cracked if short on time. Don't rush cooking or get hard centers. Keep checking texture by biting.
- 💡 Kale needs stems removed; they stay tough, bitter in salad. Chop fine for best results. Add onions 3 minutes before draining wheat. Hot wheat mellows raw onion sharpness.
- 💡 Toasting nuts deepens flavor. Get pecans nice and golden for best results. Walnuts can become bitter if overdone. Cheese—cheddar instead of feta for creamy, mild take.
- 💡 Greek yogurt dressing should whisk until creamy, cold ingredients prevent lumps. Can use 0% yogurt for lower fat but richness fades. Adjust acid and sweet to your taste.
- 💡 Best to mix salad just before serving. Drizzle dressing last minute, keeps it fresh. Store leftovers separate; soggy salad isn’t good. Serve cold or at room temp.
