Brussels Sprouts and Pickled Wheat Berries Salad

This is great tasting, healthy ~ and pretty~ salad! Serve it with a soup, such as Kale and Butternut Squash Minestrone or Veggie Cassoulet, for a hearty meal.

Serves 4

-1 lb (about 4 cups) brussels sprouts

-1 small red onion, thinly sliced

-2 Tbsps walnut oil

-1 tsp cider vinegar

-1/4 tsp kosher salt

-1/8 tsp pepper

-2 mini seedless cucumbers, thinly sliced

-4 mini red peppers, seeds removed and thinly sliced

-1 cup pickled wheat berries (see recipe below)

-1/4 cup dried cranberries

-4 Tbsps chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Cut off bottoms of sprouts and slice very thinly. Place in medium bowl.

2. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in small bowl.

3.  Add onion, cucumbers, red peppers and oil/vinegar mixture to brussels sprouts; toss to coat.

4.  Arrange brussels sprouts mixture on a platter (or 4 individual salad bowls). Sprinkle with pickled wheat berries. Dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts.

• 1/2 cup uncooked wheat berries
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsps sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of red chili pepper flakes, if desired

Put wheat berries in a sauce pan with 1 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

While wheat berries are cooking, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, bay leaf; and red chili flakes (optional) in a pan; bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes, stirring continually. 

Add drained wheat berries to vinegar mixture; simmer 2 minutes. Let soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain wheat berries before sprinkling on salad. ~Adapted from Ann Taylor Pittman