Wheat Berry Salad with Roasted Squash, Spinach and Pear

Finally there is a chill to the air, and we can settle into my favorite part of autumn, the stretch leading up to Thanksgiving.  The leaves have been whipping around my yard, and blustery days have me craving heartier salads with ingredients such as those in this wheat berry recipe.  Roasted Honeynut squash and pear deliver peak fall flavors while the wheat berries themselves lend the characteristic nutty, slightly chewy texture that give this grain salad the substance we seek as coats and mittens slowly become essential.  Freshly made, this vegan dish can be enjoyed warm or room temperature and makes a great Thanksgiving side.

Ahead of her time in so many ways, my grandmother favored plant-based eating before it was known as such.  Her favorite dinner combinations involved a base of brown rice and spinach.  Here I trade the brown rice for wheat berries, whole wheat kernels packed with nutrients.  A maple vinaigrette ties all the autumn flavors in this grain salad together.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups hard red wheat berries
1 Honeynut squash (about 1 pound)
¼ cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 medium)
1 ripe but firm pear
5 ounces baby spinach
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Uncooked wheat berries resemble thick brown rice, but they have a slightly chewier bite that makes them my favorite whole grain.  For this grain salad recipe, I used a hard red wheat berry for color and flavor but any hard variety will do.

Begin by cooking the wheat berries.  Rinse until the water runs clear then add to a pot with 5 cups filtered water.  Bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt, and cook covered over medium-low for 40 minutes.  Check the wheat berries for texture.  They should be chewy but not tough and may require up to a full hour of cooking.  Continue to check about every 5 minutes.

In the meantime roast the Honeynut squash.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Halve, scoop out the seeds and pulp, then cut the unpeeled squash into about ¾-inch pieces.  Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes then flip and continue cooking for an additional 10 or until they have begun to caramelize.

While the squash roasts and the wheat berries cook, make the dressing. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Allow to meld at room temperature.

Next cook the chopped shallot with a drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat until translucent. Set aside. Chop the pear and set aside.

Add the spinach to a bowl or serving tray.  When the wheat berries are done, drain them, and spread on a baking sheet to let steam escape.  This preserves the best texture of cooked grains for a salad.  Let cool slightly and add the shallots.  For gently wilted spinach, add the wheat berries to the greens when a bit of residual heat remains in the grains.  Otherwise allow the grains to cool to room temperature.

Toss with some of the dressing then add the roasted squash and chopped pear, and toss with as much additional dressing as desired.  Serve the wheat berry salad warm or room temperature.