Healthy Wheat Berry Recipes

Contrary to popular belief, wheat berries do not require an overnight soak before cooking. Simply boil them for 1 hour to soften the kernels, which will produce their characteristically chewy texture.

This warming whole-grain hot cereal recipe pairs cooked wheat berries with rolled oats, fruit and nuts for a filling fiber-rich breakfast. Using a microwave makes preparation speedy, especially if you've thawed frozen cooked wheat berries overnight in the refrigerator.

Wheat berries have amazing texture—they practically pop in your mouth like caviar—and each 1/2-cup serving of cooked wheat berries has more than 4 grams of fiber. Since they take up to an hour to get tender, make them in a large batch and freeze whatever you don't use right away in individual servings. (You can do the same thing with any whole grain!) That way, you can easily stir them into soup, season them with citrus and herbs for a pilaf or make them the base of a satisfying grain salad.

Rather than rice, this farro risotto recipe uses oat groats and farro, which add nuttiness, while greens help bulk up the dish.

This rib-sticking chili offers a hearty mix of wheat berries, beans, peppers and onion. Feel free to add an additional chipotle pepper to crank up the heat in this one-pot meal. Cooked wheat berries will keep for up to 1 month in your freezer and there's no need to thaw them; just stir them directly into the chili.