Wheat Berry & Barley Salad with Chickpeas, Apple & Feta
As soon as I saw this recipe on Dinner with Julie, I knew I had to make it. I love a hearty grain and bean salad, and I also love being able to use my Instant Pot to speed up the cooking process and skip the soaking step (1:2 grains:water ratio, 25 minutes, natural release). If you love this, you'll have to check out Julie and her friend Sue Duncan's book, Spilling the Beans(Amazon Affiliate link) - we've made almost all of the salads in it and have enjoyed every one!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 mL) wheat berries
- ½ cup (125 mL) pearl or pot barley
- ½ cup (125 mL) raisins or chopped dates
- 1 can (19 fl oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (250 mL) Italian parsley, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 medium or large apple, chopped
- ¼ purple onion, finely chopped, or 2 green onion, chopped
- ½ cup (125 mL) chopped walnuts, toasted (I like to finish them with a bit of balsamic vinegar while they're still in the hot pan to give them a bit of a "candied" quality)
- ½ cup (125 mL) crumbled feta
- ¼ cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 mL) red wine vinegar or lemon juice, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, cover wheat berries with a few inches of water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for an hour. (Alternatively, soak them in water overnight.)
- Pour off most of the water from the wheat berries, add the barley to the pot and cover with water by a few inches; bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes, until both barley and wheat berries are tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them from cooking; drain well and transfer to a bowl. Stir in the raisins or dates and let cool completely.
- Add the remaining ingredients toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.
