Winter wheat berry salad with figs and red onion

Serves 8

I just love unusual dishes, especially interesting salads that don’t use lettuce!

1 1/2 cups wheat berries
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped finely
1/2 medium red onion
3 large stalks celery
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon zest, from 2 lemons
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
handful fresh parsley or mint, finely chopped
1 tsp flaky sea salt (I love Maldon salt)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Put the wheat berries in a saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, then turn the heat down to low and partially cover the pot.
Cook for 45 minutes or until the wheat berries are soft yet still chewy.
While the wheat berries are cooking, whisk the rice vinegar, orange juice and honey together in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil and add the raisins and chopped figs. Turn off the heat and let the fruit steep in the juice and vinegar mixture.
Finely dice the red onion; you will end up with between 1 and 1&1/2 cups. Finely dice the celery as well; you will have between 1&1/2 cups and 2 cups. Mix them in a large bowl.
When the wheat berries are tender enough to be chewed easily, drain them, then pour them into the large bowl with the red onion and celery.
Toss with the olive oil and lemon zest.
Add the vinegar and juice mixture and all the fruit and mix together.
Toss with the almonds, chopped parsley or mint  and with the salt.
Add ground pepper to taste.
Let the salad stand at room temperature for at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to mix and soak into the grain.
Serve warm or at room temperature
The salad can also be refrigerated for up to 3 days.