I had a fantastic mixed grain salad at one of my favourite restaurants a few weeks ago, and like most foods I enjoy at restaurants, I try to replicate it at home so I can continue enjoying it! This particular salad was worth the experiment, since it can serve as a complete meal, keep in the fridge for a couple days (and I love when I can batch cook a recipe!), and the salad dressing is so versatile.

My version of this salad is also really easy and takes very little time. Not sure about the restaurant version, but I can get all my ingredients prepped, including the dressing, while the grains cook away on the stove. Multitasking in the kitchen = less time cooking and more time enjoying the fruits (or salads) of your labour!

As a dietitian, and foodie, I eat most (healthy) foods, however quinoa is one of the super-foods that I am just not that into. I enjoy it sparingly added to salads, soups, but to enjoy a bowl of it, I'd rather pass. That's what I love so much about this multi-grain salad - the multiple grains! It's not just quinoa; its quinoa + barley + wheat berries + whatever other whole grains you have in your pantry.

Multigrain Salad

Author: Andrea Carpenter, RD

Recipe Type: Salads, Sides

Serving: 4-6

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed grains, cooked*
1 cup snap peas, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP water
2 TBSP olive oil
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 TBSP tahini
1-2 TBSP lemon juice / juice of 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Choose 2-4 different whole grains to cook, and cook separately* in boiling water, for a total of 2 cups. I suggest, if using 2 grains, use 1 cup each, if using 4 grains, use 1/2 cup each.
Once the grains are cooked, strain the grains and add to a bowl and let them chill. Continue this process until all the grains have been cooked and added to the bowl.
Meanwhile, while the grains are cooking, prepare the vegetables and dressing.
Wash and thinly slice the snap peas and shallot. Place the shallot slices in a bowl with the red wine vinegar and water and allow to marinate for approximately 10 minutes. This helps to reduce the sharpness of the shallot and adds a nice subtle flavour. Slice the snap peas into small pieces and set aside.
For the dressing, whisk the yogurt, tahini, and lemon in bowl. Add a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once all the grains have been cooked, stir in the olive oil to evenly coat the grains. Drain the water/vinegar mixture from the shallots and discard, adding only the sliced shallots to the bowl of grains. Last, add the sliced snap peas, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well
To serve, pour the dressing on the bottom of a plate and top with the multigrain salad. Enjoy each bite with the deliciously tangy lemon-yogurt-tahini dressing.

If making for a packed lunch, add the dressing to the bottom of the container and top with the salad. Prior to eating, shake the salad to coat with the dressing.

LOVE THE RECIPE?

I would love to hear what you think of the Kale and Wheat Berry Salad. Take a picture if you make it at home, and share it on Instagram with #nutrikidz so I can see!