Make Ahead

Green Bean, Wheatberry and Barley Salad

by:
July  5, 2009
4
2 Ratings
Green Bean, Wheatberry and Barley Salad
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I love this salad because it's hearty but light. I serve it all year round with meat, chicken or fish. —sweet enough

Test Kitchen Notes

This salad possesses the twin virtues of being both good for you and truly tasty. It's a recipe that could easily veer into the arena of rabbit food but does not. The green beans, barley and wheatberries lend a variety of textures, while the vinaigrette brightens and pulls everything together. The addition of dill reminded us of dilly beans - in a good way. Heather calls for cooked barley and wheatberries, which we cooked separately in plenty of boiling salted water with a splash of olive oil. The barley (pearled) took 20 minutes, and the wheatberries about 40. For the dressing, we used 1 1/2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. - A&M

—The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 pound greeen beans, cleaned and cut in half
  • 1/2 cup wheatberries, cooked and cooled
  • 1/2 cup barley, cooked and cooled
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup 3 parts good olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 finely minced shallot
Directions
  1. Place the beans in a pot with enough water to cover and a good pitch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on how you like them. Drain and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking.
  2. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper. Put the cooled barley, wheatberries and string beans in a bowl and toss in the dressing and dill. correct seasoning and serve at room temperature.
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12 Reviews

Suzy Q.
Suzy Q. July 23, 2019
I must admit, I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I used only wheatberry. I was out of fresh dill so used freshly dried dill. I used California Ranch EVOO. The rest of the recipe as follows and I was disappointed. For me, it was lacking flavor. I used a nice lemon vinegar and some extra grated lemon peel and juice to give it a punch? Maybe my taste buds are a bit off? Or maybe it'll be better today? Please try it yourself🙂
 
dillybug
dillybug July 22, 2015
Liked the simplicity of this- tasty, yet different.
 
The P.
The P. November 26, 2013
Saved! This salad has got "winner" written all over it!
 
catydid
catydid August 29, 2013
Made this with whole Spelt (speltberries?) instead of wheatberries - was amazing! Also left out the dill and used savory instead. Amazing recipe!
 
Kitchie
Kitchie August 3, 2013
Loved the simplicity of this as (with parsley instead of dill). Also tried pushing the "rabbit food" envelope: used a combination of green beans, snow peas, and yellow squash (cut into thick matchsticks). Added thick grated carrot and halved cherry tomatoes at the end. Fussier but great. Used bulgur and quinoa for a quicker version, too. Will make extra next time, the leftovers are so good!
 
LAFoodGuy
LAFoodGuy May 26, 2013
We're not big fans of dill in my house, any recommended substitutes?
 
Fran
Fran August 22, 2023
Italian Parsley, finely chopped green (spring) onion greens, chives, anything green and fresh
 
pianogirl
pianogirl March 4, 2012
I made this just as indicated in the recipe and it was delicious. Even better on day 2. Thanks for this great addition to my recipe book!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian December 19, 2010
I like your recipe so much I decided to make it as a side dish for a big dinner party I had last night. It was a huge hit with people going back for seconds and several people asking for the recipe! The only changes I made were to slow roast a pint of cherry tomatoes and added them in at the end along with a couple splashes of soy sauce to the dressing. The red, green and beige-y white made it a christmas-y looking dish too! Thanks so much for a great recipe.
 
TheWimpyVegetarian
TheWimpyVegetarian December 3, 2010
Hi sweet enough! I made this tonight for dinner and just loved it! Even my husband who is not a huge fan of whole grains really liked it! Thanks for a vegetarian recipe we can both love!!
 
thirschfeld
thirschfeld March 13, 2010
Oh I am so gonna make this this summer when my beans are ready. Saving it to my file now....
 
monkeymom
monkeymom February 16, 2010
I made a variation of this tonight for dinner - no wheat berries. Used a citrus vinegar and no dill. We loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipe - healthy AND tasty!