Holiday Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries are often sprouted and used as wheatgrass. When cooked, they make a delicious, chewy, nutty, high fiber grain. In this recipe, Robert Turner dresses up cooked wheat berries enough to make an impressive side salad for a holiday meal or a delicious main dish any time of the year.

1 cup wheat berries (hard)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cranberries, soaked overnight in orange juice, or use dried cranberries
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
1/4 cup pecans, lightly toasted
Salt and pepper

Rinse wheat berries thoroughly under cold running water. Soak wheat berries in at least 4 cups of water overnight. When ready to cook, drain wheat berries and place in a pot, covering them with about 2 inches of water. Add salt and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until wheat berries soften, from 45 minutes to an hour. If you forget to pre-soak the wheat berries, you can still cook them, but they will take nearly twice as long to soften.

Drain wheat berries and let them cool to room temperature. Mix together the red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and Dijon mustard. Pour over wheat berries, then add remaining ingredients. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.