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Wheat Berry Salad with Figs & Red Onion

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This recipe is packed with bright, zesty flavors and chewy, whole grain wheat berries. One of our new favorites.

Prep: 20 min
Stand: 1 hour
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 2 hours 20 min
Serves 8

1 ½ cups wheat berries
Rinse wheat berries and put in a large sauce pan. Fill with water until 1 inch over berries. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and turn down to low. Partially cover pot and cook until the wheat berries are soft but chewy, about 1 hour.
¼ cup rice vinegar
⅓ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
While the wheat berries are simmering, whisk the vinegar, orange juice, and honey together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-heat.
½ cup dried fruit such as figs, dates, or apricots, chopped finely
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup golden raisins
Add the raisins and chopped dried fruit to the boiling vinegar mixture and cook for 30 seconds while stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside to let fruit steep in the cooked juice.
½ medium red onion (about 1 ¼ cup), finely chopped
4 large stalks celery (about 1 ½ cups), finely chopped
Combine chopped onion and celery in a large bowl.
reserved wheat berries
reserved fruit mixture
Once wheat berries have cooked to your desired tenderness, drain and add wheat berries and the reserved fruit mixture to the large bowl with chopped vegetables. Mix to combine.
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Add olive oil and lemon zest to large bowl and mix to combine.
½ cup walnuts
Lightly toast walnuts in oven at 400°F for 5 minutes. Remove and add to large bowl.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Add parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix to combine.
Let salad stand for 1 hour to allow favors to combine and serve. Will keep for three days in the fridge.