Summer Harvest Salad with Chickpeas and Wheat Berries
Make this main-course salad with your choice of vegetables--what's on hand.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Keyword: main course salad, wheat berries
Servings: 10 servings.
Calories: 166kcal
- 1 ½ cups cooked wheat berries , or spelt or farro (see note)
- 2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
- 5 to 7 cups prepared vegetables , according to your heart’s desire and what is available.
Veggie possibilities include:
- 1 medium zucchini , cut or sliced, then grilled
- 1 small eggplant , cut in 1-inch dice, then grilled
- 2 large handfuls of green beans , trimmed, grilled and cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 cucumber , peeled, seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 2 green onions , the white and some of the green, chopped
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 or 2 carrots , grated or cut in matchsticks
- 1 cup very thinly sliced red or green cabbage
- ½ bunch kale , any varietal, stems removed, chopped
- 1 beet , peeled and grated or cut in matchsticks
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes , cut in half
- Chopped lettuce greens , optional
Mix the cooked wheat berries, chickpeas and prepared vegetables together in a bowl. Make a vinaigrette with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir in basil pesto, if using. Add the vinaigrette to the bowl, tossing everything together with a spoon. Taste. Add salt and pepper as needed.
If you are finishing with tahini sauce and guajillo dressing, drizzle them immediately before serving. I like to keep the sauce and dressing aside and let people drizzle as much as they wish.
- Red rice is an excellent gluten free substitute.
- Cook the wheat berries until tender, according to package directions.
- Wheat berries, spelt berries and farro are interchangeable here.
- Before grilling or roasting the vegetables, toss with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper.
- If you have pesto on hand, add its gusto to the oil and vinegar dressing.
Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 729mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1391IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg