When I was a freshman in college, my roommate was obsessed with Food Network — Emeril in particular. At any given hour, you could hear “BAM!” or a round of applause whenever the word “garlic” was mentioned echoing from our dorm room. Up until that time, my skills in the kitchen were pretty much limited to the microwave and the can opener, and I definitely give credit to Food Network for teaching me the basics.
I rarely watch Food Network anymore (most of the chefs drive me crazy), but occasionally I’ll land on FoodNetwork.com to dig for ideas. That’s how I came across this salad. I tweaked the original recipe quite a bit, but the summery-ness of it still remains. Slightly sweet and slightly savory with a variety of textures and colors, it’s a dish that’ll leave you feeling satisfied.
Summer Wheat Berry Salad with Strawberries and Basil
Adapted from Giada De Laurentis
What you need:
- 2 cups uncooked wheat berries, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 orange)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup basil leaves cut into chiffonade
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 10 strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 orange, cut into segments
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
How you do it:
- Bring wheat berries, vegetable stock, water and salt to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for one hour. Drain wheat berries and set aside to cool in a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the orange juice, olive oil, orange zest, honey, basil chiffonade, salt and pepper.
- Add the dressing, sliced strawberries, orange segments, feta and hazelnuts to the wheat berries and toss to combine, making sure the dressing is evenly distributed.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
