Wheat Berry & Black Lentil Salad with Citrus Dressing
Hello friends! I hope the first few months of the year have been good to you. Things keep moving along at a furious pace here, though all is well in my whirlwind world. Spring is always busy with so many of my family members (and myself) having birthdays this time of year. We tend to spend lots of time with everyone celebrating. I’ve got some other fun stuff coming up on my calendar otherwise, with my first half marathon in quite a few years less than a week away. Plus an actual, live concert on the agenda, as well.
As always, lots of cooking going on in between work and fun. This particular dish I made a few weeks ago, but it was another one of those I didn’t want to miss noting down to make it again. Nothing fancy, but I love having all kinds of variations of a grain and legume salad in my arsenal for easy weekday lunches. Make a batch on Sunday and lunches couldn’t be easier!
The base of wheat berries and black lentils from Palouse Brand can easily be used for all kinds of medleys of vegetables mixed in. Wheat berries in particular are a favorite of mine for salads like this. They’re nutty and chewy, and hold up well even when you cook a batch ahead of time. Plus they’re a great source of complex carbohydrates to fuel my half marathon training. You could easily substitute farro or quinoa, or really any other whole grain. Brown lentils would also be an easy swap for the black lentils if they’re easier to find in your markets.
Wheat Berry & Black Lentil Salad with Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dry Wheat Berries, Rinsed & Drained
- 1 cup Dry Black Lentils, Rinsed & Drained
- 1 bunch Fresh Asparagus, Trimmed
- 2 small Shallots, Peeled & Sliced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
- 1 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
- 1 large Lemon, Juice & Zest
- 2 tbsp Lemon Herb Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 pinch Salt & Pepper
- Leafy Greens and/or Microgreens to Serve
Instructions
- Cook the wheat berries and black lentils in separate saucepans, according to instructions. The wheat berries should take just under an hour, while the lentils should take about 20 minutes. Once both are cooked through, drain any excess liquid and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your trimmed asparagus, shallots and garlic cloves on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning then bake for 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is cooked to your liking. Remove from heat, let cool then cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and slice the garlic cloves.
- While everything else cooks, add the dressing ingredients (lemon juice through salt and pepper) to a jar and shake together.
- Mix the cooked wheat berries, lentils, asparagus mixture, and dressing together in a large bowl. Serve over fresh leafy greens with extra microgreens if you have them for a totally nutritious lunch or dinner! Or maybe even breakfast if you choose…
The dressing was really bright and delicious, so you may want to make more if you like a more heavily dressed salad. As is, this amount was quite light. Or it’s always nice to have extra for any other salads you might make during the week!
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you’re making some delicious meals for your week ahead. Happy cooking!
