Wheat Berry Salad with Dukkah

Name: Wheat Berry Salad with Dukkah
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup (250 mL) wheat berries; 6 oz (180 g) Canadian Feta crumbled; 1 cup (250 mL) sliced strawberries; 12 large dried dates coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup (60 mL) flat parsley leaves; 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil; 1 tbsp (15 mL) white balsamic vinegar; Canadian Parmesan shavings; Dukkah; 1/4 cup (60 mL) sesame seeds; 2 tsp (10 mL) coriander seeds; 2 tsp (10 mL) cumin seeds; 1/4 cup (60 mL) hazelnuts; 1/4 cup (60 mL) pistachio nuts; Salt and pepper to taste

Our dietitians' favourite

Everyone is cooking with whole grains these days, and wheat berries are all the rage! The berry is the entire wheat kernel – before it is ground into flour. You can buy wheat berries, cook them like any other grain, and turn them into this delicious and unusual summer salad.

Prep: 30 min
Cooking: 1 h 5
Refrigeration: 1 h

Yields 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) wheat berries
6 oz (180 g) Canadian Feta crumbled
1 cup (250 mL) sliced strawberries
12 large dried dates coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (60 mL) flat parsley leaves
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) white balsamic vinegar
Canadian Parmesan shavings
Dukkah
1/4 cup (60 mL) sesame seeds
2 tsp (10 mL) coriander seeds
2 tsp (10 mL) cumin seeds
1/4 cup (60 mL) hazelnuts
1/4 cup (60 mL) pistachio nuts
Salt and pepper to taste

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

Cook wheat berries in a large quantity of boiling water until tender but still slightly al dente, about 55 min. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add remaining salad ingredients including Feta and mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Dukkah

Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).

In a dry pan, toast sesame seeds until golden. Transfer to a small food processor. In the same pan, toast coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. Add to the food processor.

Spread hazelnuts and pistachios on a baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven about 5 min or until nuts are fragrant. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel, fold the towel into a bundle and rub the nuts together to skin them as thoroughly as possible.

Add the skinned nuts to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is blended and the nuts are in fine pieces.

Serve the salad with the dukkah on the side in a small bowl with a spoon for guests to sprinkle to their taste.

Tips

Dukkah is a blend of nuts and spices used abundantly in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East. People sprinkle it on salads, grilled meats and vegetables, and eat it on pita bread dipped in oil.

Keep leftover dukkah refrigerated in a tightly sealed jar.