The story of this salad began with a small problem, well if you consider 25 kg small. For some reason, still beyond my understanding a 25 kg bag of rye grains was purchased (bear in mind we live in a small apartment). The idea of baking ones own rye bread never bore many fruits. So it begged the question, what does one do with so much rye.
After recently acquiring a pressure cooker it seemed like a half decent idea to cook up some of this grain whole and a quick browsing session resulted in this very tasty salad. It has body, crunch, creamy dressing and a healthy smattering of herbs, which is a winning combination in my book.
If you haven’t delved much into the realm of grain salads, I urge you to start a bit of dabbling. This is a prime example that salads can be so much more than a bowl of lettuce, a complete meal even if you will let them.
You want the rye grain cooked well, but with just a little bite, the radishes sliced paper thin, the cauliflower crisped on the edges, and the yogurt dressing nice and garlicky.
I will admit, this salad has yet to put much of a dent in our vast supply of grain, but I think it’s definitely a tasty start!
Herby Rye Berry Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Salad
- 3/4 cup whole rye berries
- 2 persian cucumbers
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 small head cauliflower
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch red radishes
- 3 spring onions
- 1/2 small lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup parsley roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup dill chopped
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the dressing
- Crush the garlic into a small bowl, add the other dressing ingredients and whisk to combine.
For the salad
- Place rye berries in a pressure cooker with plenty of water and cook for 30-40 minutes (this can also be done on the stove for around 60 mins, or until rye is plumb and al dente).
- While its cooking slice your cucumbers in half and then into 1/2-1cm slices on a diagonal. Place in a bowl with the white wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir to combine and let sit for about 30 mins before draining off any liquid.
- Cut the cauliflower into small florets and heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then cauliflower and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then so the cauliflower pieces become browned around the edges and tender. Set aside to cool a little.
- Slice up the radishes using a mandolin if you have one (the thinner the better) and then slice the spring onions on a diagonal into thin pieces.
- Add the rye berries to a large bowl with the drained cucumbers, radishes, spring onions and cauliflower. Drizzle over the dressing and lemon juice and toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper if needed and add the herbs. Toss gently and then serve.
