As soon as I had my first bite of that sandwich from Our Daily Bread, I knew I had to get these three things together:

  • black beans
  • feta
  • balsamic

Feta + Balsamic? Delicious together.

But I would have never thought to throw black beans in the mix. Thankfully, Our Daily Bread did, and I have a new favorite summer salad.

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Black Bean, Balsamic and Feta Wheatberry Salad

  • 1.5 cups uncooked wheatberries
  • 3 cups water

 

  • 2 zucchini, halved and sliced
  • 1 yellow squash, halved and sliced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup balsamic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and add wheatberries. Let simmer 30-40 minutes or until chewy and tender.
  2. While wheatberries are cooking, slice zucchini, squash, and tomato.
  3. Drain beans and add to other veggies.
  4. Add seasonings, basil, parsley, balsamic, and olive oil.
  5. After wheatberries are cooked, add to veggie mixture and let cool about 10 minutes.
  6. Crumble in feta, stir, and serve!

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I love grain salads.

They’re extremely easy to make, delicious cold or at room temperature, and make for great lunches during the week.

And wheatberries are one of my favorite grains to use in salads like this. The wheatberry kernels have this great chew and texture that can stand up to any other ingredient you throw in.

Plus, it’s just fun to have salads that aren’t mostly lettuce. Sometimes, I just need a little more texture and something a bit more filling. And grain salads do just that.

 

What’s your favorite grain to use? Do you have a favorite recipe using whole grains?

 

13 comments

  1. Ooo soundsl like you did a fabulous job of recreating the sandwich into a salad!

  2. That looks delish. I love using quinoa, but would love to try wheatberries.

  3. Oh yum…love the feta black bean combo! And I love wheatberries – they’re so filling! I’ve been loving barley recently – it has such a good bite to it! I add just about anything to it – recently it’s been a lot of cold barley since it’s just so hot out!

  4. Yum!! Looks/sounds like a bowl FULL of delicious textures AND flavor combinations!!

  5. I love grain salads too :) I really like bulgur! But my overall favorite grain has got to be oatmeal.

  6. Feta + balsamic?! YUM! I love both of those but haven’t tried them together. I like using couscous :)

  7. This looks fantastic! I love quinoa, and I think I will try this recipe with it. My all-time favorite quinoa salad is: cooked quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, avocado, lime, cumin, and red pepper. It can be served warm or cold, and it’s the perfect summer salad. Thanks for the great recipe!

  8. I love barley and will be recreating this with the barley substitute as soon as I can eat real food. Looks like something easy to have on hand during this oppressive heat.

  9. I really need to try wheatberries! My faves are probably bulgar and brown rice.

  10. amazing. can’t wait to try it!

  11. i made grain salads all the time last summer but haven’t done it yet… who knows why :) i’ll have to try this combo, i’m intrigued!!

  12. Pingback: Strawberry Wheatberry Salad + Whole Grain Giveaway

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