Mediterranean Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
Yield: 6 servings
Cook Time: 1 hour (for cooking wheatberries)
Tips: See recipe description for various tips.
Suggestion: Delicious served with a side of bread.
This fresh and healthy Mediterranean Salad recipe is as vibrant and delicious as it looks! Crisp-tender asparagus spears, kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, white beans, wheatberries, marinated mozzarella cheese balls and hard-cooked eggs are combined together, then tossed with a fabulous Pesto Vinaigrette dressing that gives this gorgeous salad the perfect final touch. This salad
is quick and easy to prepare, and stores beautifully in the refrigerator. As with most salad recipes, you can customize this salad to suit your own taste. The eggs and cheese are included with this recipe as a source of protein. If preferred, however, you can use chunks of chicken breast or tuna in place of or in addition to the eggs and cheese balls.
Wheatberries (the actual whole wheat grain before it has been processed) are a unique part of this salad, and add a wonderful chewy texture. You can find wheatberries in some grocery stores and most definitely health food stores. Like rice and other grains, the wheatberries need to cook on the stove for about one hour to create that chewy texture. Tip: To remove the tough, thick ends of asparagus, simply bend asparagus spears (holding the center of the spear with one hand and the thick end with the other hand) until they snap. Other than the cooking time for the wheatberries, you can put this wonderful salad together in about 15-20 minutes.
Wheatberries (the actual whole wheat grain before it has been processed) are a unique part of this salad, and add a wonderful chewy texture. You can find wheatberries in some grocery stores and most definitely health food stores. Like rice and other grains, the wheatberries need to cook on the stove for about one hour to create that chewy texture. Tip: To remove the tough, thick ends of asparagus, simply bend asparagus spears (holding the center of the spear with one hand and the thick end with the other hand) until they snap. Other than the cooking time for the wheatberries, you can put this wonderful salad together in about 15-20 minutes.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- Pesto Vinaigrette
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salad
- 1 cup white beans from can, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup cooked wheatberries (see below for cooking instructions)
- 1 lb. asparagus, cut into diagonal 1 1/2-inch lengths
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 cup bite-size mozzarella cheese balls, cut in half
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Directions
Pesto Vinaigrette
Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely pureed. Transfer to a bowl, then whisk in vinegar, salt and pepper.
Salad
Wheatberries
Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place 1 cup of dry wheatberries in saucepan and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until wheatberries are tender to the bite (wheatberries may partially open when cooked). Remove wheatberries with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to cool. (Note: This will produce about 1 1/2 cups of cooked wheatberries, but it is better to have too many than too few. You can always add the additional 1/2 cup of wheatberries to the salad if you wish.)
Asparagus
In a medium saucepan, bring about 3 inches of water to a boil. Add asparagus spears (with thick ends snapped off - see recipe description above) to water, and cook for 5-6 minutes, just until spears are crispy tender to the bite (cut off a small portion off the thick end of one of the spears to do a bite test). Immediately scoop up spears with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl filled with just enough ice water to cover all spears (to prevent spears from cooking any further).
While spears are cooling, place beans, cooled wheat berries, tomatoes, olives, cheese balls and egg slices in a large bowl. Remove asparagus spears from ice water and place on a few paper towels on a plate to drain. Blot the spears until dry, slice into 1 1/2 diagonal pieces, then add to other ingredients in bowl. Gently toss all ingredients to combine. Pour Pesto Vinaigrette dressing over ingredients to taste and gently toss. (Note: Try using only 1/2 to 2/3 of the dressing first; taste, then add a little more as necessary to suit personal taste).
Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely pureed. Transfer to a bowl, then whisk in vinegar, salt and pepper.
Salad
Wheatberries
Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Place 1 cup of dry wheatberries in saucepan and reduce heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour or until wheatberries are tender to the bite (wheatberries may partially open when cooked). Remove wheatberries with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl to cool. (Note: This will produce about 1 1/2 cups of cooked wheatberries, but it is better to have too many than too few. You can always add the additional 1/2 cup of wheatberries to the salad if you wish.)
Asparagus
In a medium saucepan, bring about 3 inches of water to a boil. Add asparagus spears (with thick ends snapped off - see recipe description above) to water, and cook for 5-6 minutes, just until spears are crispy tender to the bite (cut off a small portion off the thick end of one of the spears to do a bite test). Immediately scoop up spears with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl filled with just enough ice water to cover all spears (to prevent spears from cooking any further).
While spears are cooling, place beans, cooled wheat berries, tomatoes, olives, cheese balls and egg slices in a large bowl. Remove asparagus spears from ice water and place on a few paper towels on a plate to drain. Blot the spears until dry, slice into 1 1/2 diagonal pieces, then add to other ingredients in bowl. Gently toss all ingredients to combine. Pour Pesto Vinaigrette dressing over ingredients to taste and gently toss. (Note: Try using only 1/2 to 2/3 of the dressing first; taste, then add a little more as necessary to suit personal taste).
