Cranberry Orange Wheat Berry Salad—wheat is cooked in your Instant Pot or slow cooker until it is tender and chewy. Then it’s stirred together with orange zest, dressing, craisins and crunchy apples. A healthy and surprisingly delicious salad!
Cranberry Orange Wheat Berry Salad
I have been making this salad for years and although it sounds weird it is seriously so fresh and amazing. I love the combination of textures and flavors. Chewy cooked wheat, crispy apples and orange zest and juice bursting with flavor. Greg is trying to eat healthier and requested this salad yesterday. I made a video to show you exactly how I make it:
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Cranberry Orange Wheat Berry Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mintues
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minute
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Wheat is cook in the slow cooker or Instant Pot until tender and chewy. The wheat berries are stirred in with orange zest, dressing, craisins and crunchy apples.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked wheat (I use hard white wheat)
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 orange
- 3 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Salad:
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 large granny smith apple, cored and diced
- Optional: 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Cook the wheat: Place water, wheat and salt in Instant Pot or slow cooker. Pressure cook for 35 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release on high pressure or slow cook on high for 4 hours or until the wheat is chewy. Drain any excess water and add cooked wheat into a medium bowl. Refrigerate until chilled.
- Prepare the dressing: Finely grate the zest from the orange into a bowl. Juice the orange into the bowl. Add in the vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper and whisk well. Pour the mixture over the wheat berries.
- Add in fruit and nuts: Add in the chopped apples, craisins and optional nuts. Toss to combine.
- Serve: Scoop into bowls and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Sometimes you can find wheat in the bulk section of your grocery store or buy online*. I have also seen it at my Costco and Winco in big bags or buckets.
- Category: Salad
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
This grain salad is a keeper — so filling and delicious! And, it really does keep well…on day 4 and the tiny bit left is still delicious and firm. I am thinking massaged raw kale would be a good addition – plus I would use a medium size orange next time. This would be perfect for a picnic or potluck. Thank you for the great instructions. It was your website and YouTube videos that took the fear out of using of the InstaPot.
Ahhhh thanks Belinda! 😊 I love this one too.
I made this and it is so good, It is actually addicting for me.
Thanks!!!
★★★★★
I know! Me too! I love the dressing soooo much.
What kind of vinegar should we use?
I use white but you can also use apple cider vinegar.
I think I will try this with quinoa, since I have that in my pantry.
Sounds like a plan!
What would a decent substitute be for those of us that would be hospitalized if we consumed the wheat in this recipe? Or does it need the wheat to be wonderful???
You could use pearl barley or another grain possibly??
this sounds delicious!! my husband makes sourdough bread, and also keeps buckets of wheat berries on hand to grind his own flour…he’ll never miss a cup now and then!! 😀
You should try it! We love it so much!
Found this recipe the other day and made it as I had all of the ingredients already in the fridge. It’s delicious! The craisins soaked in OJ are amazing and add such a lovely freshness to the salad. Very easy to prepare and leftovers hold up well. Thanks – this is a keeper!
★★★★★
Thank you for reminding me about this recipe. I love it and need to make it again soon!
Where do you purchase the wheat to make the wheat berries?
I usually find it in the bulk section of the grocery store!
I thought that was what you meant, but just wanted to make sure 🙂 I think it looks scrumptious! I always allowed my wheatberries to sprout and ate them raw in salads…looking forward to giving this a try! Thanks for another great recipe 🙂
Just cook the wheatberries and then add in the other ingredients and make a cold salad. Sorry that it wasn't clear!
Hi Karen,
I have a question about the recipe. The top part of the recipe, are the wheatberries in that portion cooked or uncooked?
Then on the 2nd part of the ingredient you talk about basics for cooking wheatberries…
Do we do the top part, and then add more wheatberries and water and put everything into a crockpot?
Or do we just do the basic cooking of wheatberries solo and then take those and add them into the other ingredients to make a cold salad?
Thanks a bunch 🙂
Stacy
This is super good and healthy. I use craisins instead of cranberries, but thanks for one of the best recipes to use whole wheat!