Mango, Wheat Berry, and Arugula Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

Never have I ever...cooked wheat berries.

Heard of them? Yes. Cooked them? Hellz no.

THEY'RE SCARY. There, I said it.

I'm not afraid of snakes or spiders or fires. But wheat berries? Oh yes.

In all reality, they're actually pretty harmless and pretty damn delicious. I know that reconfiguring a pantry with healthy goodies like wheat berries can be overwhelming at first. Buying nutritional yeast and flax and oat flour is kind of a drag, no? Maybe...but remember that nothing good ever comes easy!

The good news is that once you're all stocked up, you can pretty much make any healthy recipe posted on the internet, ever.

Wheat berries are robust and chewy and quite dreamy, texturally speaking. Since these raw kernels of wheat are so unprocessed (think whole wheat flour before it's ground), they're super nutrient dense. One fourth cup serving packs six grams of both protein and fiber plus 8% of the daily value of iron. Hello, healthy! They're a breeze to cook, too. If wheat berries intimidate you, feel free to sub in quinoa, farro, brown rice, or whatever grain floats your boat instead. You cold also throw in a can of black beans instead of grains if you're feeling lazy. Work smarter, not harder.

I'll still love you.

When I saw mangoes were on sale at Whole Foods, the wheels started turning like cah-razy. Mangos in oatmeal? Too muggy out. Mangoes in salad? Um, yes. And if you don't know how to cut a mango without looking like an absolute fool, join the club. I watched this video and now I'm a self-proclaimed mango dicing expert. This video, along with this salad, will surely change your life.

I challenge you to explore the bulk bins and play with a new grain. You can pretty much always cook them in a two to one ratio of liquid to grain. Whole Foods Upper Arlington is like the holy grail of bulk bins. I just stand there staring wide-eyed for fifteen minutes at the bajillion different kinds of grains, beans, nuts and seeds. I'm like a kid in a candy store.

I made a last minute decision to add hemp seeds to this dressing for creaminess and it was the most epic decision I've made in weeks. Months. Years. Kidding.

Kind of.

I mean I could practically feel the inflammation leaving my body thanks all those scrumptious omega-3's.

This salad will make you want to eat more salad. And we all could use a little more salad in our lives.

Mango, Wheat Berry, and Arugula Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 3-4 servings 1x

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Description

This spring salad has the perfect balance of chewy wheat berries, spicy arugula, sweet mango, and creamy cilantro lime dressing.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the wheat berries:

• ¾ cup soft wheat berries
• 2 cups water

For the dressing:

• ½ cup cilantro, stems removed
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice (from one medium lime)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• ½ tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

• 5oz baby arugula
• 2 mangoes, diced
• ¾ cup chopped green onions
• 1 avocado, diced
• Hemp seeds, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Place wheatberries and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for thirty minutes (or until wheat berries are chewy and tender). Drain excess water.
2. Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
3. Place arugula, cooked wheat berries, mango, green onion, and avocado in a large bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss well to combine. Garnish with hemp seeds.

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In other news, I was recently interviewed for a podcast on turning blogging into a business. Click here to have a listen!