I recently had occasion to pull out an old recipe that came from my friend and former colleague, Tricia. For a team potluck lunch eons ago, she brought a salad of wheat berries with tomatoes, corn and smoked mozzarella. It was the first time I’d ever had a salad made from cooked whole grains, and I was hooked on the nutty flavor and toothy texture. I’ve made this recipe a bajillion times since, making little tweaks along the way, like omitting the red onion in her original recipe (red onion and I don’t get along), and reducing the amount of grain for a balance of ingredients that’s to my liking. You could make this salad with farro, barley, wheat berries or brown rice; use pearled grains for faster cooking.
This hearty whole-grain salad recipe is easily made ahead (in fact, the salad improves with time, as the flavors deepen and blend). So it’s perfect for busy adults who like to take a healthy lunch to work. It’s also great as a summer side dish, when tomatoes and corn are super fresh. In fact, if you have access to really good, just-picked corn on the cob, you could add that to this salad without cooking it.
This is just another example of how whole grains can make a terrific foundation for a salad or side dish, to which you could add any number of fresh or cooked vegetables, some nuts, a bit of cheese and a simple oil–vinegar dressing. In fact, the July/August of Fine Cooking magazine has what I consider the most absolutely genius mix-and-match primer on grain salads. I can’t find the article online, but you can access a number of the recipes in the issue here. Better yet, go buy the magazine — my copy is dog-eared like crazy.
whole-grain salad with tomatoes, corn and smoked mozzarella
(serves 6–8 as a side)
1 cup uncooked wheat berries, barley or farro, or brown rice (about 2 cups cooked)
1 cup cooked corn (from fresh or frozen)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 to 5 green onions, sliced thin (use more if you like stronger flavor)
1 large clove garlic
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. quality olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 cup smoked mozzarella or gouda, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 Tbsp. minced fresh chives
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Cook grains according to package directions; drain and cool. In a large bowl, combine corn, tomatoes and green onions; add cooked grains. Make the dressing: Mash the garlic clove to a paste with a chef’s knife (or use a garlic press). In a small bowl, combine the garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the dressing and cheese to the grain-vegetable mixture, then add the herbs and toss gently to combine. Taste and add coarse salt and cracked pepper if needed.
This is an absolute fave of mine (as you know). Just wanted to endorse it. 🙂
Sounds great- we love the corn and tomatoes in salads, the grains will be a nice addition…