Bring one of these one of a kind salads to your next gathering

Ooh...la...la...has anyone else noticed that wheat berry salads are all the rage right now? It is so great that the whole "whole grain" thing is so in, you know what I mean? Thanks so much to Charlene for sending me these VERY DELICIOUS salad recipes. They will knock the socks of anyone you serve them to.

This salad was so delicious! It had such a unique blend of flavors that were very fresh tasting and I loved the little kick from the cranberries. I picture this salad being an absolute hit at a baby/wedding shower or luncheon.

Wheat Berry Salad with Apples and Cashews

1 C wheat berries (wheat berries are the whole kernal of wheat, like what you get at the cannery) or brown rice
5 C water
3 T vegetable oil
½ C orange juice
2 T red wine vinegar
2 t ground coriander
½ t ground cinnamon
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, diced (I cheated and used 1 C. dehydrated apples, simply re-hydrate in 2 C. warm water and dice)
2 T fresh mint, finely chopped
½ C cashews, toasted, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced (you can use a green onion or chives if you don't have a shallot)
1 C dried cranberries
feta cheese (optional) Charlene doesn't ususally add this but I did because I LOVE feta

Pick over the wheat berries for any foreign bits. Rinse and bring wheat berries to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour or more until tender. Drain and cool.
In a small bowl, mix the vegetable oil, orange juice, vinegar, coriander, and cinnamon. Set aside.
To the wheat berries, add apples, mint, shallots, and cranberries. Toss with the dressing to coat. Prior to serving, add the roasted cashews.

Note from Charlene: If I make this ahead of time, I sometimes find that I need to add more dressing, as it absorbs the liquid.

Forget the ordinary pasta salad. This was amazing and has a lot of room for variation! I didn't have time to run to the store to buy some of the ingredients so I used 1 avocado diced, 2 roma tomatoes, 1 C. artichoke hearts, and regular olives and it was so delicious with the dressing listed below! I can only imagine how good the original recipe must be! I also think it's good enough that you could add in some grilled chicken and call it dinner.

Feta Wheat Berry Salad Adapted from “The Best of Gourmet 1994”.
1 C whole wheat berries
½ C Feta cheese, diced (I like the basil and sun-dried tomato variety)
½ C red onion, minced
½ C cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
¼ C roasted red peppers, julienne strips of drained bottled peppers, chopped
¼ C pepperocini salad peppers, chopped
¼ C mixed fresh herbs, minced (I like parsley, mint, thyme, and basil) plus some for garnish
1 T Kalamata black olives, pitted, brine-cured, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
5 T olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T balsamic vinegar

Pick over the wheat berries and remove any foreign bits. Rinse and add the wheat berries to boiling salted water and reduce to a simmer. Cook the wheat for 1 hour or until it’s tender.

Drain and cool.

Stir together the wheat berries, Feta, onion, cucumber, roasted pepper, pepperocini, herbs, olives, and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. Mix everything together. Garnish with herbs.
Serves 4-6.

Note from Charlene: Sometimes I need to add more dressing if it absorbs a lot as it sits.

Presentation tip: Whenever you have a salad that doesn't have a lot of color in it or needs more green in it to really WOW the people you're serving, line the bowl with romaine lettuce leaves. It's so easy and such a nice touch.

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