This grain bowl makes a light, but highly nutritious lunch or dinner. Add your choice of protein to the mix, or stay with just the vegetables. Wheat berries are offered in both a quick cooking version (ca. 10-15 minutes) or traditional (45 minutes). Barley is also a good substitute.
The vegetables below are just a suggestion–use whatever you have on hand.
The salad can be eaten heated or taken out of the fridge for 30-60 minutes to bring closer to room temperature.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Salad
- red and/or yellow bell peppers: 2, diced
- zucchini/courgette: 1 medium, diced
- eggplant/aubergine: 1 medium, diced
- olive oil: a few Tbsps for the veg
- salt and pepper: for the veg
- wheat berries, instant (Swiss: Ebly brand) or original unprocessed: 280-300 g /2 cups
- onion: 1 small or .5 medium, finely diced
- olive oil: 2 Tb for the onion
- stock (vegetable or chicken) or water: 800 mL/28 oz/3.5 cups, or follow instructions on your packet of grains. Use a rough guide of 1.5-2 parts liquid to 1 part grain by volume–start with a lower volume and add additional later
- salt and pepper: to taste. (the amount needed will depend on the saltiness of your liquid added)
- lemon: juice and zest of half a lemon
- fresh parsley: a small handful, finely diced to add to the final salad
- hazelnuts (or almonds, walnuts, pecans): 50-60 g/.3-.5 cup, chopped
- cooked protein (optional): chicken, shrimp, protein, tofu, etc.
Harissa-Yogurt Dressing
- Greek or plain yogurt: about 270 g/1 cup pot
- harissa paste: 1-2 tsp (1 tsp for mild, 2 for hot)
- salt: .5 tsp
- lemon: juice of half a lemon (use the rest in the main salad below)
STEPS
Vegetables and Wheat berries
- Cook the vegetables. You can roast the vegetables (my preference) or saute on the stove top.
- 1a: Oven method: Heat an oven to 200 C/400F with fan/convection on. Line a 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper and toss the vegetables with olive oil and salt. Spread across the baking sheet(s) in a single layer. Roast for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through and begin to caramelize. Season to taste with additional salt if desired.
- 1b: Stove top method: Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat, add a few tablespoons of oil and add the vegetables in batches to not over crowd the pan and allow browning. Cook for 6-8 minutes each batch until fully cooked. Season to taste with salt.
- Saute the onion. Heat a medium-large pot (which has a lid) over medium heat. Add the olive oil and the diced onion, and cook for a few minutes until the onion softens and just begins to brown.
- Cook the wheat berries. Increase the temperature to high and add the wheat berries and stock to the pot. Allow to come to a boil, mixing the ingredients, then reduce to the lowest temperature and add the lid to the pot. Cook according to package instructions–about 10 minutes for parboiled grains and 40-50 minutes for unprocessed grains.
- Finish the wheat berries: Remove the pot from the heat and test for doneness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the vinegar and mix together. Keep warm if serving immediately or refrigerate if serving later.
Harissa-Yogurt Dressing
- While the grains and veg are cooking, combine all the dip ingredients together and adjust to your taste–more or less harissa for spiciness, and salt to your preference. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to use.
Final Assembly
- Add the lemon juice and parsley to the wheat berries and mix to combine.
- Add a portion of the grains to bowl(s) and a portion of the veg.
- Top with optional protein, a dollop of the yogurt dressing, and nuts.