Wheat-Berry Tabbouleh

Name: Wheat-Berry Tabbouleh
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: middle eastern
Ingredients: 1 cup wheat berries, presoaked for eight hours (if possible) and drained; 1 small cucumber, peeled and cored to remove seeds, then diced; 1 pint (about 2 cups) baby heirloom or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise; 4 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 cup tightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves; ½ cup tightly packed mint leaves; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons salt, divided; Black pepper

By Jeff Schwarz and Greg Kessler

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 5(24)
Comments: Read comments

Eaten whole, wheat berries have a strong nutty flavor, making them an earthy alternative to rice, couscous and quinoa. They can be soaked overnight so they’ll cook faster and have a lighter, softer texture, but it’s not necessary. A great way to prepare them is in tabbouleh, as a substitute for bulgur wheat. Suddenly, what is often only a small part of a Middle-Eastern mezze platter is elevated to a main dish.

Featured in: Visiting the Source | A Chef in the Field: Wheat Berries

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1cup wheat berries, presoaked for eight hours (if possible) and drained
1small cucumber, peeled and cored to remove seeds, then diced
1pint (about 2 cups) baby heirloom or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4scallions, thinly sliced
1cup tightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup tightly packed mint leaves
3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3tablespoons lemon juice
2tablespoons salt, divided
Black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Add wheat berries, 4 cups of water and a tablespoon of salt to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer, then cook for 45 to 50 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Step 2
Place the cucumber, tomatoes and scallions in a large bowl.
Step 3
Finely chop the parsley and mint together, and add them to the large bowl.
Step 4
Add the cooled wheat berries to the mixture, and mix in the olive oil and lemon juice.
Step 5
Add remaining salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6
Serve at room temperature.

Ratings

5 out of 5

24 user ratings

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Comments

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Myra2 years ago

Cooked wheat berries in the slow cooker‐ 3 hrs on high. Used regular tomatoes, 2T each oil and lemon also added some zatar and alepo pepper and feta cheese.

quinoa worked!2 years ago

My wheat berries were stale so I followed the recipe precisely but substituted quinoa. It is bright and delicious!

Es4 years ago

Bob's Red Mill soft white wheat berries give a great crunch. I soaked them for a couple of hours before cooking. Not sure that made any difference but the final result was very nice.

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