Wheat Berry Fruit and Vegetable Salad

This is a slight variation on my Farro Fruit & Veg Rosemary Salad. Equally delicious! I love using the fresh grapes in this dish. Wheat berries are aptly named, I think, since they do remind me of little hearty berries (like a baby cranberry of sorts!). They go great in this dish (although so would other great grains!)

Ingredients:
Serves ~6

• 1 cup wheat berries
• 1 Tbsp peanut oil
• 1.5 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 1 delicata squash
• 1 cup fresh sliced red seedless grapes
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1 bunch asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• Salt & pepper to taste

(Sliced apples would also be really good in this salad!)

Steps:

1. Cook wheat berries in 2.5 cups of water - bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered, for 1 hour - until wheat berries are tender.
2. Wash delicata squash and remove seeds. Slice into bite-sized pieces (you can leave the skin on - it's edible after roasting and is rich in fiber & nutrients!). Place on cookie sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray. Roast at 400 F for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
3. Whisk oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and rosemary in a large bowl.
4. Steam asparagus.  
5. When wheat berries are done cooking, combine all ingredients in the bowl with the dressing and toss to serve. Enjoy warm or cold! 

This dish is healthy, fresh, easy to make, and completely satisfying. And did you know wheat berries (and farro) have 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving? Not bad!

These healthy grain salads are a new favorite staple of mine. The guests at my recent dinner party loved it too! Sadly, that meant no leftovers ;-)