Photo of Roasted onion, chickpea, and wheat berry salad by WW

Roasted onion, chickpea, and wheat berry salad

2
Points®
Total Time
2 hr 15 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
2 hr
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
This beautiful salad is substantial enough to serve as a main, but also holds its own as a side dish for any dinner party or holiday celebration. Wheat berries have a nutty flavor and a chewy, wild rice-like texture. They're delicious served hot as a side dish or cold as a grain salad. Just keep in mind that you can let them soak in water for at least 12 hours before cooking them, or you can skip the soaking and let them simmer for 2 hours until they're tender instead. They're then roasted in the oven alongside onions, chickpeas, and vegetable broth to bring this satisfying salad together.

Ingredients

Uncooked wheat berries

1 cup(s)

Cooking spray

1 spray(s)

Onion

2 large, coarsely chopped

Canned chickpeas

2 cup(s), rinsed and drained

Low sodium vegetable broth

cup(s)

Table salt

1 tsp, or to taste

Black pepper

½ tsp, freshly ground, or to taste

Fresh parsley

cup(s), cilantro or mint (or a combination of all 3), fresh, chopped

Instructions

  1. To prepare wheat berries, place berries in a bowl and pour in enough water to cover them by several inches; let soak for at least 12 hours. Next, in a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Drain wheat berries and add to saucepan; reduce heat and simmer gently until wheat berries are tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. Or skip soaking the wheat berries altogether and increase the simmering time to about 2 hours; drain water from pan.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  3. Add onions to pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 30 minutes. Add wheat berries, chickpeas and broth to pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes more.
  4. Garnish with parsley before serving. Yields about a heaping 3/4 cup per serving.