Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Baby Arugula Salad with Wheat Berries, Butter Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes


It's spring and time to enjoy some new salad recipes with those fresh, baby greens coming to the markets or in your garden.


I've made this arugula salad twice this week we enjoyed it so much. My husband (who says he doesn't like sun-dried tomatoes) loved it! It was a wonderful partner with grilled meat but could be a meatless meal in itself with the beans, pine nuts and cheese adding all of the protein. Inspired by a recipe I saw on Skinny Taste, I developed my own recipe using wheat berries, butter beans and pine nuts.

Did you know that arugula is a good source of vitamins A and K- not to mention zinc, potassium, calcium and iron and folic acid. It's unique, peppery taste lends itself well to this type of salad. An 18-year-old balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil and lots of freshly ground pepper made the perfect dressing for the Parmesan-topped greens.

You may substitute any cooked grain or pasta you like rather than the wheat berries, but we loved their nutty chewiness.  Also, fresh halved cherry tomatoes could be used rather than sun-dried tomatoes but we also love their nutty flavor with the shaved Parmesan and pine nuts.  

Truly delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.


Baby Arugula Salad with Wheat Berries, Butter Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves 4-6

5 oz bag or clam shell box of organic baby arugula (baby arugula is not as bitter as regular arugula)
1/2 cup cooked wheat berries
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, snipped into julienne and tossed with olive oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (additional for serving)
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 cup canned butter beans, rinsed and drained
Good Parmigiana cheese, shaved from block

Boil wheat berries in salted water according to package directions (takes about 50 minutes). I used Bob's Red Mill brand. Drain, cool, cover and reserve.

Toast pine nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring every minute or two until golden.  Cool, cover and reserve.

Snip soft-packaged sun-dried tomatoes into julienne strips, toss with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil.  Cover and reserve. 

Drain and rinse beans.  Cover and reserve. 
In a small bowl, add the balsamic vinegar.  Whisk in the extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified.  Add freshly-ground pepper and salt to taste.  Cover and reserve.

When ready to serve, place arugula into a salad bowl.  Add the wheat berries, butter beans, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, and some of the shaved Parmesan cheese.  Add the dressing, a little at a time, and toss until coated to your liking.  Divide among salad plates and top with remaining shaved Parmesan cheese.  Pass the pepper grinder at the table and enjoy!

Notes:  You may substitute any bean of you choice, including chick peas.  Fresh cherry tomatoes can be used instead of sun-dried tomatoes.

37 comments:

  1. What a lovely salad and I thought my eyes were playing tricks when the photos changed! Cool, cool, cool effect. The butter beans are such a nice addition. Have a great weekend!

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  2. I thought my eyes were playing a trick on me too... We love arugula and eat it quite often. Butter beans are a southern favorite that are always welcome on my table and good balsamic vinegar makes all the difference in the world.
    Sam

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  3. What a beautiful salad!!! I am with Sam, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me too!!
    A great photo! Blessings dear. Catherine xo

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  4. looks great and how cool is the clip of it being made :-)

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  5. Someone learned a nifty new trick-fun! Sounds like a great salad, I love butter beans:@)

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  6. Looks and sounds like a salad I would like. Fun seeing it assembled. :-D I have had some sun dried tomatoes that were very good and some very tough.
    Enjoy your evening.

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  7. I love your new board..and the MAGIC ..so cool Nana2..
    You are a whiz!

    Salad looks divine too..

    Our first Christmases..don't know how J did this with our super 8 ..40 yrs ago..but he did that effect with our tree..
    :)From unadorned to adorned w/ lights..

    So impressed..with him 40 yrs ago and now u!x

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  8. Beautiful photography, Susan...the salad looks and sounds delicious, too.

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  9. I'm heading to my favorite grocery store Wegmans, and will pick up the arugula. We will enjoy this! Cool photo Susan.

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  10. Love your salad magic! It looks so good- perfect for the salad weather ahead. :)

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  11. Neat photo effect! The salad sounds wonderful with all those great flavors. I am not crazy about sun-dried tomatoes either but willing to give them a go in this salad.

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  12. Hey Susan, you always post such great recipes! and I love the state-of-the-art photo display :)
    I just finished a job last night and have these almost exact ingredients left over, so I am making this salad for sure (just replacing the beans by fava). Looks so cheerful and delicious!

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  13. This look really delicious Susan!:)

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  14. Great side dish for grilled goodies. That balsamic drizzle - makes all the difference to me!
    :) ela@GrayApron

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  15. This is my kind of everyday salad. I just harvested some arugula together with some other salad leaves and I am going to turn them into a salad for the dinner too. Yours looks so fresh and mouthwatering.
    Have a beautiful day, Susan!
    Angie

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  16. Love the photos!! Your flowers are beautiful. Ours are struggling, Spring just hasn't sprung here. Its been in the 40's all week. The salad looks delicious, I love all the flavors. Hope you're having a wonderful week.

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  17. Looks really good and I like the step-bu-step shots

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  18. It is always nice to come across a different salad and yours sounds great. Love your pretty spring photos.

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  19. This is my kind of salad, love it, also pretty cool photo effect.

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  20. I brought back some delicious-looking sun dried tomatoes from my trip and am so ready for salad season!! I can just imagine the combination of goodness in your salad.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  21. A salad that is both, beautiful and delicious! I'm such a big fan of arugula that I even turn it into pesto. Cool photography, querida amiga!

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  22. Fun to watch the shaved Parmesan go on and off! :) Beautiful salad, Susan. Not only to look at but the combo is unusual and looks delicious. We don't use wheat berries nearly enough.

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  23. Beautiful salad. I didn't know that baby arugula was less bitter than regular arugula. I want to learn that trick with the picture!

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  24. This sounds amazing. We love butter beans and just starting incorporating them into our recipes.
    Great salad, and baby arugula is our favorite!

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  25. What a lovely and delicious looking spring salad! We planted some arugula so I'm looking forward to harvesting it and making salads.

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  26. This is for sure my kind of salad! I love all the mix-ins. Wheat berries add the perfect chew and heartiness!

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  27. Setting the health benefits aside, I always think Arugula makes such a pretty salad. And this sounds delicious. I love how you've plated it, with the brown placemat and those beautiful dishes.

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  28. This looks yummy - and I loved the frame-by-frame view of the composition!

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  29. It looks beautiful, Susan. I like baby arugula. I tried chopped kale mixed in a spinach feta, etc salad last night. It wasn't a hit. Very chewy. The only thing I will use it for is cheese trays, lol!

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  30. What a beautiful salad, and I bet it is so satisfying. With so many different textures, the peppery arugula, nuts, wheat berries and creamy beans. this is a meal in itself. Complimenti!

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  31. great salad Susan, perfect meal ! Have a nice week my dear, kisses

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  32. Wheat berries sound very interesting, and so are its substitutions. This salad is so full of life! I lov any salad with nuts in it!!

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  33. Beautiful and refreshing salad! This would be lovely to accompany any meal.
    My arugula seedlings are just so tiny and taking forever to grow! :)

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  34. I love this type of salad Susan and sun dried tomatoes are an ingredient I always love to add!

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  35. This salad sure makes a great meal...I love the wheat berry...and all the texture in it...yum!
    The pictures of the flowers are gorgeous Susan...have a wonderful week :D

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  36. Wonderful looking salad, especially with the pop up ingredients. I loved how you did that.

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