Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Spelt Salad with Fava Beans

Spelt is a nutty-tasting grain that's similar in taste and texture to wheat berries. Look for it in health-food stores and the natural-foods aisle of large supermarkets. Once the fava beans are shelled, their tough outer skins need to be peeled; blanching and then rinsing the beans in cool water makes the skins easier to remove.

Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked spelt or wheat berries
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups shelled unpeeled fava beans (about 2 pounds whole pods)
  • 1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1/3 cup dried currants
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preparation

Place spelt in a large saucepan; cover with water to 2 inches above spelt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until spelt is tender. Drain.

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add fava beans; cook 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Remove and discard tough outer skins from beans.

Combine spelt, fava beans, tomatoes, celery, and currants in a large bowl. Combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients (through garlic), stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over spelt mixture; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 190 (22% from fat)
Fat: 4.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 2.5g,poly 0.5g)
Protein: 6.2g
Carbohydrate: 35.4g
Fiber: 2.9g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 2.8mg
Sodium: 252mg
Calcium: 40mg
Cynthia Nicholson, Cooking Light, JUNE 2005

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