Favorite Grain Salad + White Beans (Wheat or Gluten Free)

Many years ago, I spotted a naturally dairy-free grain salad recipe on the back of a wheat berries package from Bob’s Red Mill. It ended up being very easy to make, and has become very popular at potlucks and barbecues. It’s the basic side dish you bring that’s unassuming, but inevitably a couple people ask for the recipe. I also like it for lunches, since it’s such a great meal-prep option. And it works well with a range of grains, beyond wheat berries, including gluten-free grains.

Dairy-Free Grain Salad with Wheat or Gluten-Free Whole Grains

Bob’s Red Mill stopped producing wheat berries, so I didn’t see them for a while in stores. You can still buy them online, and many natural food stores carry other brands or have them in bulk. But the switch up prompted me to try other whole grains in this dairy-free grain salad recipe. I’ve listed them in order of preference below.

How to Cook Whole Grains: I prefer to use the pasta method when cooking any grains for the best and most foolproof results. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Rinse the grains in a fine mesh sieve (for most grains, you’ll need 1/2 cup dried grains for this recipe). Add the grains to the boiling water, and boil until tender but still a touch firm and chewy. I’ve included general time guidance with the grains below, but it should also state on the package if you didn’t buy in bulk. Drain and return the grains to the pot. Place the pot off the heat, cover, and let the grains sit for 5 to 10 minutes. The cook time of larger whole grains can be reduced if you soak the grains overnight before cooking.

• Wheat Berries – They might be labeled as hard or soft, by the protein content, and red or white, based on the kernel color. Boil soft wheat berries for about 30 to 40 minutes and hard wheat berries for about 45 to 90 minutes.
• Spelt – It’s a type of wheat, but is considered to be an ancient grain. Spelt looks similar to wheat berries, and takes a similar amount of time to cook. Allow 45 to 90 minutes.
• Kamut / Khorasan – Like spelt, kamut is a type of wheat in the ancient grain category. It also takes about 45 to 90 minutes to cook.
• Farro – Yes, it’s yet another ancient wheat grain. This one takes about 35 to 40 minutes to boil, or just 15 minutes if you use pearl farro.
• Sorghum (Gluten-Free) – It’s one of the top cereal grains in the world, but we rarely think of sorghum. It’s smaller than wheat berries, but still has the hearty texture and lightly nutty taste. It takes about 25 to 40 minutes to cook.
• Barley – I prefer barley and soups, but it is a unique and tasty option in this dairy free grain salad. It’s tender and chewy and cooks up in about 45 to 90 minutes. Pearl barley will cook in just 15 minutes.
• Quinoa (Gluten-Free) – I prefer larger grains in this dairy free grain salad, but it does make a good quinoa salad, too. Plus quinoa only takes about 12 to 15 minutes to cook.

Soaking the grains overnight before boiling will decrease the cook time a little bit. And some argue that soaking increases digestibility, particularly when an acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar is added to the soaking water.

Special Diet Notes: Grain Salad

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free (see grain options above), nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, plant-based, and vegetarian.

 For a strictly vegan grain salad, substitute 2 teaspoons regular or Dijon mustard + 1 teaspoon maple syrup agave nectar for the honey mustard.

Bob's Red Mill

Dairy-Free Grain Salad

5 from 1 vote

This delicious wholesome salad makes a wonderful barbecue or potluck dish, but we also enjoy it as a vegetarian lunch. I love that it's made without cheese, allowing the core ingredients to shine. Please note that the prep time is hands on time only. This is a great make a head dish, because the flavors improve as the salad chills.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Calories: 253

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Vinaigrette

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice preferably fresh-squeezed
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon honey mustard
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Wheat Berry Salad

• 1 cup cooked whole grain cooled (see post above for options)
• 1 cup cooked white beans see Bean Note below
• ½ cup sliced chives or green onion
• ½ cup sliced celery optional
• ½ cup diced tomato

Method

 

Vinaigrette

1. Put the oil, shallot, citrus juice, vinegar, parsley, honey mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or in your blender. Whisk or blend until combined.

Wheat Berry Salad

1. Add the grains, beans, onions, celery, and tomato to a medium to large bowl with a lid and stir gently to distribute the ingredients.
2. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss thoroughly to combine and coat the ingredients.
3. Cover and refrigerate the salad for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors time to blend.
4. Served the salad cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/2 cupCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 16.3gProtein: 4.4gFat: 19.2gSaturated Fat: 2.7gSodium: 197mgFiber: 3.4gSugar: 1.6g

Notes

Bean Note: There are a few different types of white beans. Look for cannellini beans, navy beans, or great northern beans at the grocery store. You can use canned beans that are drained and rinsed. If preferred, you can substitute chickpeas / garbanzo beans.

Vegetable Options: Diced yellow or red bell pepper or cucumber can be substituted for the salary.

Zesty Option: You can optionally zest a little of the peel from the lemon before you juice it. Use a teaspoon or so of the zest on the salad if you want to add a little more zing to the flavor. You can substitute lime juice, and optionally lime zest, for the lemon in this recipe.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Also try this Warm Wheat Berry Salad Recipe!