Wheat Berry & Lentil Salad

Wheat Berry & Lentil Salad
From The Sonoma Diet

Prep time: 30 minutes
Total cooking time: 90 minutes
Serves 12

Ingredients:
3 cups water
½ cup wheat berries, rinsed & drained
½ cup brown or French lentils, rinsed & drained
½ cup lemon juice
2 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp Dijon style mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp crushed red pepper seeds
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 19 oz/540 ml can garbanzo/chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small cucumber, diced (about 1 cup)
½ cup green onions, chopped
½ cup fresh Italian (flat leafed) parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and wheat berries. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in the lentils and continue to cook, covered for 30 minutes or until the lentils and wheat berries are tender. Drain and discard the remaining cooking liquid. Cool to room temperature. This can be prepared the day before.

2. For the dressing, combine lemon juice, shallots and garlic in a medium bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in mustard and add oil in a thin stream, stirring constantly. This emulsifies the dressing and keeps it from separating in the fridge. Stir in crushed red pepper, season to taste with salt & pepper and set aside. This too, can be made the day before.

3. Final prep: In a large salad bowl, combine wheat berry & lentil mixture with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, green onion and herbs. Add the dressing, toss and taste for any corrections to the seasoning.

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