Tender baby greens get limp and soggy after a day or two, but when grains are the star of your salads, they actually get better with time. And anytime you can forget about your food for a couple of days, pull it out of the fridge and find out that it’s only gotten better? That’s always a good thing.
Set aside a little time to make a big batch of hearty grains at the beginning of the week, and you’ll be set for lunches and sides for days. It’s a total time-saver for busy workdays. Here’s how to cook each grain, plus recipes to use them in.
1. Quinoa
This light and fluffy grain packs a ton of protein, making it the perfect base for a nutritious salad.
How to cook it:
Rinse the raw quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh strainer to remove the natural coating, saponin, which can taste quite bitter. Then add 2 parts of water and 1 part quinoa to a pot, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the quinoa, then return it to the pan, and let it sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
Try it in:
Sesame-lime quinoa salad
Image: Dinner at the Zoo
This zippy quinoa salad is a healthier way to enjoy the flavors of your favorite takeout.
Roasted ratatouille quinoa
Image: The Café Sucarine
Get the most out of summer produce while it lasts by enjoying this roasted ratatouille quinoa salad.
Sweet potato quinoa salad with cherries, goat cheese and candied walnuts
Image: Ambitious Kitchen
This salad, with sweet potato, fluffy quinoa, tangy goat cheese and juicy cherries, is both hearty and light.
More: 16 Quinoa recipes to incorporate into your diet
2. Farro
This hearty, chewy grain will keep you full for hours. It’s nutritious, nutty and will keep in the fridge for days.
How to cook it:
Rinse the raw farro in a fine mesh strainer. Add 1 part farro to 3 parts liquid. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Strain away any remaining liquid. The grain will still be chewy but shouldn’t be crunchy.
Try it in:
Kale, white bean and farro salad
Image: Smells Like Home
This farro salad is packed with fiber, protein and whole-grain goodness.
Vegan Greek farro salad
Image: Ripelife
This Greek farro salad, chock-full of goodies like artichoke hearts, is perfect for vegans and omnivores alike.
Farro salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette
Image: Blissful Basil
The roasted garlic vinaigrette in this farro salad is so tasty you’ll be putting it on everything.
3. Spelt
Spelt is a hearty, nutty grain that needs to be soaked overnight. Once it’s cooked, it’s a great way to make a substantial salad.
How to cook it:
Rinse the spelt, then soak it in cold water for at least 4 hours or even overnight. Bring 1 part spelt and 3 parts liquid to a boil, then cover, and simmer for 50 to 60 minutes or until chewy but tender. Drain away the excess water, and enjoy.
Try it in:
Spelt salad with navy beans, cherry tomatoes and cucumber
Image: Olivia’s Cuisine
This refreshing spelt salad with navy beans, cherry tomatoes and cucumber is as tasty as it is healthy.
Spelt salad with spinach, avocado, bell pepper and carrot
Image: Green Evi
This hearty spelt salad is full of chewy and crunchy goodness.
Apricot-mint spelt salad
Image: The Smoothie Lover
This apricot and mint spelt salad is perfect as a warm-weather lunch or a side dish to a grilled protein.
4. Couscous
Couscous cooks up like a grain, though it’s actually a type of pasta. It still makes for a mean salad, though, and you can use a whole-wheat version for added nutritional oomph.
How to cook it:
Bring 1-1/2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the couscous, cover, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Try it in:
Couscous salad
Image: Feed Your Temptations
This couscous salad with cucumber, lime, pomegranate and peanuts will liven up any lunchtime.
Baby bok choy couscous with mangoes and strawberries
Image: The Wimpy Vegetarian
Sweet mango and strawberry are a perfect counterpoint to baby bok choy in this couscous salad.
Moroccan couscous salad
Image: Sis Boom Blog
This Moroccan couscous salad brings classic flavors to the forefront.
5. Barley
Choose hulled barley, not pearled, for the most nutritious dish. Hulled barley is a nutty, chewy grain that will taste great all week.
How to cook it:
Rinse and drain the raw barley. Add 1 part barley to 3 parts liquid in a pot, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 45 to 55 minutes, adding more liquid if the barley absorbs it all before it is tender yet chewy. If there is still water left once it’s tender, strain it away.
Try it in:
Grilled corn and barley salad with blueberries and goat cheese
Image: Sweet Peas and Saffron
Barley with grilled corn and blueberries makes a perfect salad for picnics and cookouts.
Summer barley salad
Image: The Life Harvest
Summer barley salad with beans and veggies makes for a hearty midday meal.
Warm barley salad with roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts
Image: Gringalicious
You don’t have to stop eating salads in the fall, as this cozy barley, butternut and Brussels sprouts salad shows.
More: 8 Ways to make whole grains taste great
6. Wheat berries
Chewy, nutty and sweet, wheat berries are an intriguing addition to any salad. Avoid pearled wheat berries, which are less nutritious.
How to cook it:
Rinse and drain the wheat berries. Add 1 part wheat berries to 3 parts liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes and as many as 55, depending on the variety of wheat berry you’re working with. You’ll know they’re done when they’re chewy yet tender.
Try it in:
Italian wheat berry salad
Image: Not Your Standard
Wheat berries and veggies make this Italian-inspired salad irresistible.
Roasted squash, chickpea and wheat berry salad
Image: Seven Grams Blog
Sweet squash and peppery arugula keep this flavorful wheat berry salad exciting.
Orange, arugula, fennel and wheat berry salad
Image: Petit World Citizen
Orange and fennel are always a fine pair, but they’re extra special in this wheat berry salad with arugula.
7. Millet
Millet is a light and fluffy grain with a slightly sweet flavor. It’s a quick-cooking whole grain that will add a nice heft to your salads.
How to cook it:
Rinse and drain the millet. Add 1 part millet to 2 parts liquid in a pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. If there’s extra water, strain it away. After cooking, remove the pan from the heat, and let it steam, covered, for 10 minutes.
Try it in:
Millet salad with creamy dill dressing
Image: Happy Hearted Kitchen
Fluffy millet is light enough that this creamy dill dressing won’t leave you feeling weighed down.
Massaged kale, avocado and millet salad
Image: Tales of a Kitchen
This millet salad is chock-full of nutritional all-stars like avocado, kale and sunflower seeds.
Warm sesame-soy millet salad
Image: Curried Cantaloupe
This sesame-soy millet salad is way better than takeout but just as satisfying.
8. Rice
Everyone loves rice as a side, in casseroles or even as the main event (pineapple fried rice, anyone?). Unsurprisingly, it’s stellar in salads too.
How to cook it:
There are dozens of varieties of rice, so you should always check the packaging for cooking instructions. For basic white rice, rinse and drain your rice before cooking. For every 1 cup of rice, use 1-3/4 cups of liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, and add the rice, then lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the rice steam for 5 minutes.
Try it in:
Grape and brown basmati rice salad with almonds and mint
Image: Farm Kitten Cooks
This brown basmati rice salad perfectly balances chewy grains and crunchy morsels like grapes, almonds and celery.
Grilled salmon rice salad
Image: Magnolia Days
Make your rice salad a full meal with the addition of succulent grilled salmon.
Wild rice salad with cherries, mint and feta
Image: Kiwi & Bean
This intriguing salad pairs wild rice with cherries, mint and feta for a dish that’s a sight for sore eyes.
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