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You have likely heard the adage that the only certainties in life are death and taxes. I have one more to add.
My husband will never request spelt for dinner.
Ironically, he likes spelt for dinner. He is a health-conscious eater, avid exerciser, and (reasonably) good sport abut trying my many recipe concoctions. He uses 100% whole wheat flour in his banana bread, eats oatmeal year-round, and is (sort-of) ok about multi-grain tortillas . He knows that spelt has a great nutty flavor and meaty texture, is loaded with fiber, has 11 grams of protein per cooked cup, and is packed with nutrients galore (think calcium, manganese, zinc, iron, vitamin E and B-complex vitamins).
But suggesting or requesting spelt (or any other whole grains) for dinner? Not. Going. To. Happen.
Lucky for him, he married me. Whole grain-loving me. And I have a trick strategy to make sure it’s spelt for dinner when the time is right: (a) commence spelt preparation in his absence; (b) contain and conceal the spelt before his return; (c) misdirect any and all dinner inquiries until dinnertime is imminent: and (d) present the spelt.
I have complete steps (a) and (b) thus far with my emerald green, spring spelt salad. I know he’s going to love it, in spite of himself.
Mum’s the word until dinner!
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone!
Spring Spelt Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 90 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups spelt
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided use
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1–1/4 cups frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
- 3 (packed) cups kale leaves, roughly chopped
- Juice and grated zest of 2 medium lemons
- 2 cups (packed) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place spelt and salt in a medium pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until spelt is tender and water is mostly absorbed, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cardamom and coriander, cook and stir 20 seconds Add asparagus and broccoli; season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until asparagus is crisp-tender.
- Add vinegar and stir until evaporated, 1–2 minutes. Stir in edamame and kale, Remove pan from heat and stir until kale is wilted, 1–2 minutes. Add vegetable mixture to bowl with spelt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool.
- Once salad is cooled, mix in lemon juice and zest, parsley and remaining olive oil.
Notes
(1) The salad will keep, refrigerated in a covered container, for up to 3 days.
(2) Additional Nutrition Notes:
Low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Low in sugar
High in dietary fiber
Very high in vitamin A
Very high in vitamin C
- Category: Salad
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of salad
- Calories: 263
- Sugar: 2.3 g
- Sodium: 323 mg
- Fat: 9.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2
- Carbohydrates: 34.6 g
- Fiber: 7.6 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I have passed this on to some of my clients, Camilla–such a great healthy salad! I’m going to make it this weekend for a potluck.
Great, Eleanor–thank you!
Camilla, can I use farro instead of spelt? I am not sure how long to cook it.
Hi Marin! Defintiely, you can sub an equal amount of farro. Cooking time for the farro will be much shorter, about 20 minutes (check for tenderness). 🙂
This looks like a perfect salad for me! Love all the green veggies!
Enjoy, Ellen!
I made this without the asparagus (did not have it) so I increased the broccoli and kale. Great! I had some spelt berries sitting around so this was a perfect way to use them. Now I have (super healthy) lunch for several days!
Fantastic, Katya!