Moroccan Wheat Berry Salad

This dish bursts with flavor from exotic spices and texture from chewy wheat berries, fresh winter fruits, and roasted vegetables. It's packed with skin loving nutrients to support a healthy glow, but most importantly, it's crave-worthy and delicious. It gets better over time, so make a big batch and enjoy it all week long.

Moroccan Wheat Berry Salad 
Makes 8 servings

Salad Ingredients

2 cups wheat berries
Salt
1.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into 1” chunks
1 cup chopped carrots
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion thinly sliced
1 cup chopped dried apricots
½ cup chopped nuts, such as pistachio or walnut
6 green onions, sliced
1 cup pomegranate arils
1/2 cup chopped mint

Dressing Ingredients

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a medium pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add wheat berries, reduce to a simmer and cook until berries are tender, about 30-45 minutes. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place butternut squash, carrots, pepper, and onion onto a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with black pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until squash has some lightly browned spots. Remove and let cool.

While the veggies and wheat berries cook, in a small bowl, combine black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, and nutmeg. Whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses. Slowly whisk in olive oil and season with 1 tsp salt.

Pour half the dressing over the cooled wheat berries and toss to coat evenly. To the wheat berries, add all remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Drizzle remaining dressing over. Toss to combine again. If possible, let marinate for 1 hour before serving. This is a great dish to make a couple days in advance, as it gets better with time.