Wheat Berry Salad with Apples, Walnuts & Feta

Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed wheat kernels packed with nutrition! Wheat berries are wholegrain, meaning they contain the bran (outer fibrous coating), the endosperm and the germ, which is rich in vitamins, minerals and heart healthy fats.  When grains are refined, the bran and the germ are removed to make the texture easier to chew and digest.  As a result, wheat berries are crunchy and chewy in texture which helps keep you feeling full for longer!

• Prep time:  20 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Serves: 12-15

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat berries (dry)
• 2 gala apples, unpeeled and chopped
• 1 can (19oz) chickpeas, rinsed
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup walnuts, unsalted and chopped
• ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup red onion chopped (optional)
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp red wine vinegar (to taste)

Instructions:

1. In a medium saucepan cook wheat berries according to package instructions.  Generally, you use the same 2:1 ratio for water: wheat berries as you would for rice.  Wheat berries take about 1 hour to cook.
2. Remove wheat berries from heat and drain any excess water.  Cool in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add chickpeas, raisins, walnuts, parsley and feta cheese to wheat berries when cooled.
4. Cut apples and coat with vinegar and olive oil to prevent discolouring.
5. Combine apples with wheat berry mixture and toss to coat.
6. Let cool in the fridge before serving.