Wheat Berries With Winter Squash and Chickpeas

Wheat Berries With Winter Squash and Chickpeas
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(54)
Comments
Read comments

Use wheat berries or spelt for this hearty, nutrient-dense winter dish. The squash will fall apart as it simmers with the wheat berries, adding a sweet flavor to the mildly spicy broth.

Featured in: Vegan Recipes for Lent

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves six
  • 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1large onion, chopped
  • 2large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ to ½teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
  • 1cup wheat berries
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste diluted in 1 cup water
  • 4cups water
  • Salt to taste
  • ½cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼cup chopped fresh dill or mint
  • 1pound winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut in large dice
  • 1can chickpeas, drained
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

297 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 876 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.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, ground allspice and cayenne. Stir together for about one minute, then add the wheat berries, tomato paste and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, and add salt to taste. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons each of the parsley and dill or mint, and stir in the winter squash and chickpeas. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for another 45 minutes to an hour until the beans and wheat berries are tender and the squash is beginning to fall apart.

  2. Step 2

    Uncover the pot, and turn the heat to high so that the liquid returns to a boil. Boil until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency. Remove from the heat, and stir in the remaining herbs. Taste and adjust salt. Serve hot or warm in wide soup bowls.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can make this a few days ahead through Step 1. Reheat and reduce liquid (which will already be thicker if you’ve made it ahead) on the day you are serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
54 user ratings
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Comments

Substituted farro (which was at hand) for the wheat berries, and used the Instapot. Followed Step 1 through adding the farro and diluted tomato paste. Then immediately added 3 cups chicken stock (instead of the 4 c water), herbs, squash (peeled kabocha) and chickpeas. Cooked on high pressure for 20 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. No need to reduce it at the end, just sprinkled on herbs and feta. Very good!

I wanted to love this recipe because I love wheat berries and butternut squash. I found the flavors to be an odd combination and even with half the cayenne, it was way too spicy for our family.

Made this in the Instapot. Used 3/4 cup dried chickpeas, added a bit more liquid (used stock instead of water), and cooked on high pressure for 35 minutes. Added vegan feta at the end and it was great.

Substituted farro (which was at hand) for the wheat berries, and used the Instapot. Followed Step 1 through adding the farro and diluted tomato paste. Then immediately added 3 cups chicken stock (instead of the 4 c water), herbs, squash (peeled kabocha) and chickpeas. Cooked on high pressure for 20 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. No need to reduce it at the end, just sprinkled on herbs and feta. Very good!

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