Wheat Berry Salad with Goat Cheese

Taking a cue from traditional tabbouleh, this dish uses lots of peak-season vegetables, tart lemon juice, and pungent fresh herbs. Serve with toasted pita wedges.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)


1 1/4 cups wheat berries

2 1/2 cups chopped English cucumber

2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 1/2 cups loosely packed chopped arugula

6 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese



1. Place wheat berries in a medium bowl; cover with water to 2 inches above wheat berries. Cover and let stand 8 hours. Drain.



2. Place wheat berries in a medium saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above wheat berries. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, uncovered, 1 hour or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well. Place wheat berries in a large bowl; add cucumber and next 4 ingredients (through tomatoes).



3. Combine rind and next 4 ingredients (through sugar) in a bowl; gradually add oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss well to coat. Stir in cheese. Let stand at least 30 minutes; serve at room temperature.



CALORIES 253 ; FAT 9.7g (sat 3.7g,mono 4.4g,poly 0.9g); CHOLESTEROL 11mg; CALCIUM 79mg; CARBOHYDRATE 35.7g; SODIUM 401mg; PROTEIN 9.2g; FIBER 6.8g; IRON 1.2mg


Cooking Light, JULY 2009