Meatless Monday: Wheat berry and stone fruit salad

Don’t keep the season’s fresh fruit for snacks or dessert only. Take fruit to dinner with this hearty salad that includes fresh stone fruit for color and flavor.

When you’re searching for a Meatless Monday meal idea, it’s easy to rely on a salad. Why not take advantage of the season’s wonderful fruit to toss into this recipe for wheat berry and stone fruit salad with cherry-yogurt dressing?

Peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries and apricots are all considered stone fruit because each has a hard seed — or pit — inside. Since it’s that time of year, I like to use fresh fruit as much as possible in my meal planning. And that doesn’t mean you have to save it for dessert.

I used nectarines, peaches and cherries for this salad. To add to the fill-you-up factor, I tossed in wheat berries and salad greens. Top with a sweet dressing made with cherries, and you have a perfect dish for a filling lunch or light dinner.

Wheat berry and stone fruit salad with cherry-yogurt dressing recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup wheat berries, cooked according to the package directions
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 cups pitted cherries, divided
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Pinch salt
• 1-2 large nectarines, cut into thin wedges
• 1-2 large peaches, cut into thin wedges
• 1 head bibb or butter lettuce, leaves torn into bite-size pieces

Directions:

1. Cook the wheat berries. When done, drizzle them with the olive oil, and toss to combine. Allow the wheat berries to cool to room temperature.
2. Mix the dressing while the wheat berries are cooking. Add the yogurt, 3/4 cup cherries, honey, lemon juice and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the remaining cherries, the nectarine and peach wedges, the lettuce and the wheat berries.
4. Drizzle with the dressing, to taste. Toss to combine, and serve with extra dressing on the side.

Add fruit to your main course.

More Meatless Monday recipes

Spinach pesto pasta salad with chickpeas
Mustardy mac ‘n’ cheese with peas
Spanish omelet sandwiches