Wheat Berries With Sesame, Soy Sauce and Scallions

By Mark Bittman

Updated Oct. 16, 2023

Wheat Berries With Sesame, Soy Sauce and Scallions
Evan Sung for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
35 to 45 minutes
Rating
4(54)
Comments
Read comments

Wheat berries do take a while to cook, maybe half an hour, maybe 45 minutes, sometimes even longer, but you can cook a lot of it and keep it in the refrigerator and heat up a little bit at a time as you need it. Once the wheat berries are cooked, top with sesame oil, scallions and soy sauce. Try it for breakfast when cold cereal and toast aren’t warming your heart.

Featured in: Your Morning Pizza

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½cups wheat berries
  • Salt
  • 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil, or to taste
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
  • ½cup trimmed and chopped scallions
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

247 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 7 grams protein; 442 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 4- to 6-cup saucepan, combine wheat berries with a large pinch of salt and enough water to cover them by at least an inch. Bring to a boil and adjust heat so mixture bubbles gently.

  2. Step 2

    Cook, stirring occasionally, until wheat berries are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Add boiling water as necessary to keep wheat berries covered and to keep them from drying out as they swell and become tender. Wheat berries are done when tender with a slight bite to them; ideally you will have cooked out all the water at about the same time they are tender, but if any remains, strain them. (At this point you can drain berries and refrigerate for up to a few days, then reheat when ready to serve.)

  3. Step 3

    Fluff wheat berries with a fork and toss with sesame oil. To serve, drizzle with soy sauce and garnish with scallions.

Ratings

4 out of 5
54 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Katherine

This same technique works marvelously well with oatmeal (the real, hearty variety, not prefab). And if you are planning the sort of day when you may not want to smell of raw scallions, adding some fresh raw cut celery to the bottom of the cereal bowl before plopping the hot cereal in is also delectable.

raiswell

I feel there’s potential here to incorporate a poached egg. Will attempt and report back…

raiswell

I feel there’s potential here to incorporate a poached egg. Will attempt and report back…

cindy

Didn’t have scallions. Used 1 T soy sauce and 1 T oil and it was wonderful!

Gene R

Went light on the scallions, and used one T soy sauce. Wonderful.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.