This was the third salad for the Women’s Retreat. I really liked the unique spin on this Waldorf salad. Adding wheat berries is a fun chewy twist that adds so much texture to the crunchy apples and celery. I also love that this uses a Vidalia onion dressing instead of the traditional mayonnaise-based dressing. I’m kind of in love with this dressing. I wasn’t super impressed with it at first, but after a couple of hours in the fridge the flavors totally blended into an awesome, creamy, flavorful, tangy-sweet dressing. It’s fantastic.
Wheat Berry Waldorf Salad
Serves 6 (I 4x the recipe for the Women’s Retreat)
Adapted from Craving Something Healthy
Dressing:
- 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
- 2 large Vidalia (or sweet) onions, peeled and quartered
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling over onions)
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 Tbsp honey
- salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap the garlic loosely in foil and set on baking sheet. Toss onions with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then spread out evenly on the baking sheet. Roast onions and garlic for about 45 minutes, tossing occasionally. Onions should be lightly charred around the edges and garlic should be soft. Allow onions and garlic to cool, then remove the peels from the garlic cloves.
In a blender or food processor, combine onions, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and garlic, blend until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.
Salad:
- 2 cups cooled, cooked wheat berries
- 2 large sweet apples, diced (leave the skin on)
- 1 1/2 cups red grapes
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
In a large bowl, combine wheat berries, apples, grapes and celery. Toss salad with about 1/2 the dressing. Taste and add more dressing as desired. Garnish with pecans and blue cheese.
