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!

Author: Adapted from Dinner with Julie

Recipe type: Salad

Makes: about 12 cups

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

1. 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.)

2. 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.

3. Add the remaining ingredients toss to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed.