"Berries" are whole grains that have been minimally processed: They have been hulled but still have the bran and germ intact.
Ingredients
Serves 6 as a main course or 8 to 10 as a side dish
Step 1
Into a kettle of salted boiling water stir wheat berries and cook at a slow boil 30 minutes. Stir in barley and cook grains at a slow boil
Step 2
40 minutes
Step 3
While grains are cooking, in a large bowl stir together onion, garlic paste, vinegar, and oil.
Step 4
Drain grains well and add to onion mixture. Toss mixture well and cool. Add scallions, corn, mozzarella, tomatoes, chives, and salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Salad may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving. Serve salad with parsley salad.
How would you rate Wheat Berry and Barley Salad with Smoked Mozzarella?
Leave a Review
Reviews (30)
Back to TopThis is a favorite for picnics and dish-to-pass events, as it travels easily. The smoked mozzarella is a must. Each time I serve it, people ask for the recipe. I watch the cooking time once I add the barley - typically it cooks around 30 minutes for me. Watch this step as you don't want mushy barley.
Anonymous
Upstate New York
7/5/2016
This is really good, and the smoked mozzarella makes it! I made it exactly as written. Yum!
eileen413
Berkeley, CA
2/19/2016
Mmmm! Just made this for the first time, without a few of the ingredients on hand. I left out the barley and scallions and used emmer berries for the regular wheat berries. French feta went in lieu of the mozzarella, and I sprinkled a generous quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika into the mix. The sweet flavors of the corn and tomatoes plus the hint of smokey plus the tart of balsamic, cheese, and onions, all packed into chewy crunch--robust, fresh deliciousness.
amidfallenleaves
Cloud City, WA
7/22/2014
Be careful to cook the wheat berries and barley separately! I hastily skimmed those directions and cooked them together. Took over an hour and the wheat berries were a tad mushy. The recipe is good but slightly dull. Using fresh sweet corn helped. I added a little cayenne, lemon juice, cilantro and lots of olive oil. The parsley salad was great.
Anonymous
Chicago, IL
11/21/2011
Better than the sum of it's parts. I've been making this salad since it first was published in the mag in the 90's. It's always very popular, even with people who have no clue what it is, and are "traditional eaters". I like the way the vinegar starts to break down the moz just a bit as the salad sits and flavors meld a bit. I usually just use plain moz, not smoked.
dannabrown
sc
6/14/2011
This is a really wonderful summer salad (or anytime, I suppose)...I've made it for two gatherings, each time to rave reviews, with the exception of using grape tomatoes instead of cherry. The first time, I made it exactly as written, the second, the store was out of smoked mozzarella and the red onions looked awful, so I used Vidalia onion and pearl mozzarella, and it STILL got rave reviews! It's a very versatile dish that appeals to meat eaters and vegetarians alike. I would agree that a little boost of vinegar/oil wouldn't hurt it a bit, and it's VERY good the next day (and the day after that, if you're lucky enough to have any :)
jlynch1
No. Kentucky
6/21/2010
Fantastic. I usually make this salad without barley, but it's great with both. If you don't chop the red onion very fine and soak it in ice water, it can be a bit overpowering.
sarcozona
10/4/2009
This had a nice texture, but could benefit from more fresh herbs, and perhaps a slightly higher oil to vinegar ratio. We found it to be much better the next day.
Anonymous
Ft. Washington, PA
8/6/2009
Loved this. I substituted pearl fresh mozzarella for smoked, because I don't like smoked mozzarella, and chopped tomato for cherry tomato. I think next time I would take out the red onion and only do green, but it was still totally delicious no matter what.
kenziecollie
4/5/2009
This was my first time cooking with wheat berries, and I really liked it. The combination of the wheat berries, the barley, and the cheese has a great texture, and the cheese gives the salad a great smoky flavor. It's really great. I was cooking just for myself so halved the recipe, but otherwise I made it as written.
Anonymous
Burlington, VT
7/26/2007
This is fantastic. the texture and taste are exceptional as is, and it was the hit of the party with absolutely everyone going back for more.
Anonymous
Washington DC
3/25/2007
This is my favorite recipe on epicurious.com. The combination of the chewy wheatberries with the sweet juicy tomatoes is great. I've made this dish a million times, and it's still fantastic. Simple, healthy, and tasty!
aspandrea
SF, CA
7/6/2006
Excellent made exactly as specified. It was a big hit at our office party. Tastes great a day or two later too.
Anonymous
White Plains, NY
6/16/2006
I did not have high hopes for this, but I happened to have wheat berries and smoked mozzarella I needed to dispatch with. What a surprise--it was scrumptious! I used extra tomatoes to balance the edge from the raw garlic. Also glad that I used my good basalmic in generous amounts. I highly recommend this--if I were in college still, this would be a major grub-fest!
mllnmchine
New York
2/12/2006
I have made this several times and received nothing but rave reviews and requests for the recipe (or that I make it again myself). I only made the parsley salad once; it was not well-received and in my opinion, totally unnecessary. IThe main salad is a great alternative to the usual picnic potluck side dishes, and I have served it with tamales for New Year's as well.
Anonymous
California
11/21/2005
