I found this recipe in a whole foods cookbook, and I’ve adapted it slightly to simplify it a little bit. This makes A LOT, so if you’re cooking for one or two people it would be better to halve the recipe. I didn’t care for it much the next day because the pumpkin seeds got all soggy. This would be a great salad to take to a potluck. There’s some ahead-of-time prep work, but you could wait until the last minute to assemble it and that only takes a few moments.

Wheat Berries with Chilies and Pumpkin Seeds
1 1/2 c. wheat berries
3/4 c. brown rice
1/2 c. roasted pumpkin seeds
2 jalapeno peppers (or equivalent amount of those canned diced green chilies which aren’t quite as spicy)
1 16-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (a little less than 2 c.)
1/4 c. plus 1 T. lime juice (or lemon)
1/2 c. minced fresh cilantro
1/4 c. plus 2 T. olive oil
1 1/4 tsp. salt

1. Cover the wheat berries with water and soak at room temp. overnight.

2. The next day place the wheat berries and rice in a large saucepan with 8 c. water.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered 40 min. or until both the wheat berries and the rice are tender.  Drain off excess water and chill in the refrig.

3. Optional extra step: roast the jalapenos in a 400 degree oven for 10 min.  Remove the seeds from your roasted or raw peppers, then chop.

4. Mix everything together in a big bowl and serve.  If you are making ahead, mix everything except the pumpkin seeds and then add them at the last minute.

Wheat berries are the entire wheat kernel, minus the hull.  This is as whole-grain as you can possibly get.  This salad is really delicious and a lot more filling than you might think.  The wheat berries have a really great chewy texture.  This was the first wheat berry recipe I’ve ever made and I loved it.