Artichoke Wheat Berry Salad

The wheat berry is a versatile food that can easily be incorporated into delicious dishes such as this hearty, artichoke salad, or simply serve a hot bowl of cooked wheat berries for breakfast as you would oatmeal.

Wheat berries are a true whole grain, they are the unprocessed kernel complete with endosperm, bran and germ. All the nutrients that are removed in processing wheat for such foods as white bread are found in the wheat berry, including fiber, folic acid, protein, B-complex vitamins and vitamin E.

Recipe Ingredients:

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup whole wheat berries
3 green onions, sliced – tops and all
1 small yellow pepper, seeded and diced
20 stuffed olives, sliced
2 (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained (reserve marinade)
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Cooking Directions:

1. The Day Before: Heat chicken or vegetable broth and add whole wheat. Simmer 1/2 hour; refrigerate mixture overnight.
2. The Next Morning: Simmer wheat until soft, approximately 1/2 to 1 hour; drain excess liquid.
3. Add green onions, pepper, olives and drained artichokes to wheat berries.
4. Blend mayonnaise and curry powder into 1/4 cup reserved artichoke marinade until smooth. Add to wheat mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Chill several hours before serving or overnight.

Makes 12 servings.

Tips:

• Use only clean untreated wheat.
  
• By soaking the wheat overnight, cooking time is cut in half.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/12 of recipe): 132 calories, 4 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 36 mcg folate, 1 mg iron, 618 mg sodium.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wheat Foods Council.