Wheat Berry Salad with Shrimp with Mustard Caper Vinaigrette

  Posted on February 15, 2012  by Leslie Blythe  No comments

Here is a healthy salad recipe that you can have during the week.  Eat more grains!  Wheat berries are really good and good for you.

Wheat Berry Salad with Shrimp with Mustard Caper Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 cup wheat berries, preferably winter or hard wheat
Kosher salt
8 oz green beans, trimmed
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained, cut in half, and thinly sliced
8 oz small cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered or halved (about 1½ cups)
1/2 cup roughly chopped, well-toasted almonds
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Mustard Caper Vinaigrette (See recipe below)
1/2 lb medium shrimp, preferably wild, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
1 Tbs olive oil

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, combine the wheat berries, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 5 to 6 cups of water (enough to cover by 2 inches). Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer, and cook, partially covered, until the wheat berries are tender but pleasantly chewy. Begin checking after 50 minutes, though they may take up to 90 minutes. Drain the wheat well and spread on a baking sheet to cool. (You can cook the wheat up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate after cooling. Bring to room temperature before using. If the wheat seems wet, spread on dishtowels to dry for about a half-hour.)

Bring another large (4 qt) saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, and put a clean dishtowel on the counter. Add 1 tsp. salt and the green beans to the boiling water; cook until tender, 4 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer the beans to the dishtowel to cool in one layer. When cool, cut them into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the wheat berries, green beans, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, three-quarters of the almonds, the chopped herbs, several grinds of pepper, and 1/3 cup of the Mustard-Caper Vinaigrette. Toss thoroughly. Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and vinaigrette. You can overdress the salad a bit at first, as the grains will keep absorbing it.

Season the shrimp with salt. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook undisturbed until lightly browned on the bottoms, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and continue to cook until the shrimp are curled and just opaque throughout, 1 minute.

Toss the shrimp into the salad and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.

Mustard Caper Vinaigrette

Makes about 1 cup

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs minced capers, rinsed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1½ tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tsp minced fresh garlic
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl or glass jar with a tight lid, whisk or shake all of the ingredients. The vinaigrette can be refrigerated for a week.