Vegan Wheat berry and Kohlrabi-Apple Salad

This is a perfect example of why you should never judge a book by its cover.  This thing looks like it came from outer space or something from WWII.  If you are not familiar with this veggie, google it, I ain't lying over here!  Granted, yes, it is not the prettiest thing while whole.  Though once you cut the outer part, you have a beautiful crunchy and mild vegetable.  Technically it is a German turnip.  If I were to explain this, I would compare the texture to jicama and a very mild/sweet radish or a bland apple.  You can steam it, roast it, make it into a fritter, etc.  Though, for this recipe we are keeping it as is and using it raw.

 Wheat berries are a great grain for vegans.  I think they give quinoa a run for it's money.  They are unprocessed wheat kernals that are hearty with tons of protein and dietary fiber.  If you have not cooked with them, note that you should soak them for at least 4 hours because they are quite tough in texture.  If you are questioning if you have cooked them correctly, they should be soft yet pretty chewy.  I would think this is due to the large amount of fiber.




To make a delicious and complete meal, I stuffed a gorgeous roasted sweet potato with this salad.  Everything compliments each other perfectly!

Vegan Wheat berries and Kohlrabi-Apple Salad

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

1 c dried wheat berries

1 kohlrabi, outer skin sliced off

1 large apple

1 c red kale (or regular kale) roughly chopped

3 green onions chopped (I used both the green and white parts)

2 tbsp evoo

1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp agave nectar

s+p to taste

Directions:

Soak wheat berries in water for at least 4 hours.  Drain and rinse.  Take your soaked wheat berries and put in a pot with about 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

In the meantime, with a mandolin slicer, slice into thin matchstick strips.  Clean and chop your apple into small pieces.  In a bowl, add in the sliced kohlrabi, apple, green onion and kale.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients and salt and pepper.  Once the wheat berries are done, strain and rinse with cold water.  Add in to the bowl with the vegetables and apple and pour in your dressing.  If you prefer more dressing, add in additional vinegar and evoo.  Season to taste.  Either serve at room temp or refrigerate.