Pesto-Weizen-Salat (pesto wheat berry salad)
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Wheat berries
- 250 g wheat berries, soaked overnight if possible rounded
- to taste fine salt, for the cooking water rounded
Pesto and salad
- 50 g fresh basil rounded
- 40 g vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated rounded
- 30 g pine nuts rounded
- 1 garlic clove rounded
- 80 ml olive oil rounded
- 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved rounded
- 100 g mozzarella, torn into pieces (optional) rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Method
Method
- Cover the wheat berries with plenty of salted water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 12 to 15 minutes if pre-soaked (up to 40 minutes if not), until tender with a distinct chewy bite. Drain.
- While the wheat is cooking, blend the basil, vegetarian hard cheese, pine nuts and garlic with the olive oil until mostly smooth, leaving some texture. Season with salt.
- Toss the warm, drained wheat berries with the pesto until every grain is coated.
- Fold in the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, if using. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Toss the pesto through while the wheat is still warm. Warm grains take up the oil-based pesto evenly; once cold, the pesto sits on the surface instead of coating each grain.
- Soak the wheat berries overnight if you can. It roughly halves the cooking time and gives a more even texture throughout.
- Do not overcook the wheat. The chewy bite is the whole point of using wheat berries here rather than a softer grain; cooked past that point it loses what makes it distinct.
- It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, though the pesto’s colour dulls slightly; a squeeze of lemon juice before serving brightens it back up.
Ingredient substitutions
- Wheat berries can be swapped for farro or spelt berries, cooked the same way.
- Pine nuts can be walnuts or omitted for a nut-free version.
- Store-bought pesto works if you’re short on time, though a fresh one has more depth.