SAVORY KUCIA - WHEAT BERRY SALAD
One of the most important dishes for Kucios, the Lithuanian Christmas Eve supper, is "kucia", a mixture of wheat berries, ground poppy seeds and honey. I've never actually had this (wheat berries being scarce in California markets of 40 and 50 years ago), and since I prefer savory things, I decided to make a salad in the spirit of the traditional kucia, incorporating things that would have been available in a typical Central/Eastern European farmstead. OK, balsamic vinegar and olive oil are a bit of a stretch, but everything else would have been available at my grandparents' farms. If you've never had wheat berries, you'll discover a tasty grain. I have found that this tastes best if permitted to stand overnight, to permit the flavors to meld. Cooking time does not include soaking or standing times.
Provided by duonyte
Categories Savory
Time 1h20m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Rinse and drain the wheat berries. Place them in a medium bowl, cover with water and soak overnight.
- Drain the wheat berries, place in a medium saucepan, add 3 cups water and cook until the berries are soft and the water is pretty much absorbed, about 1 hour. If the berries are tender, you can just drain any excess water. (I have been doing this in the rice cooker - it takes two cycles in my machine, but I don't have to worry about the pot boiling dry).
- Cover the chopped onion with hot water for two or three minutes, and drain. (This reduces a bit of the bite. Your onion may be sweet enough to skip this step).
- Place the cooked wheat in a large bowl and toss with the onion, apple, berries, poppy seeds and walnuts.
- Add some freshly grated black pepper.
- Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey and salt. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.
- Let stand at least four hours or so, preferably overnight, to permit the flavors to meld.
- Serve at room temperature.
- Note: The vinegar keeps the apple from discoloring, but you may prefer to add the apple just before serving. The heat and moisture of the cooked wheatberries will soften the dried berries, no need to presoak. If using dried cherries, you may want to cut them in half. I tend to use less salt than many, so you may want to adjust that to your own taste.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
Jirde haamadhawr
[email protected]This salad is a keeper!
Nazir Abbas
[email protected]Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Kirssy Chambers
[email protected]I highly recommend this recipe.
Jess
[email protected]This salad is a delicious and healthy addition to any holiday table.
DanielArad Taghiani
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this recipe!
Latif Latif
[email protected]This salad is a great way to introduce people to Polish cuisine.
Montana McKenzie
[email protected]I will definitely be making this salad again.
Julieanna Chavez
[email protected]This salad is perfect for a potluck or holiday gathering.
Dalamukhi Prakash
[email protected]This salad is a great vegetarian main course or side dish.
Albechir Hissein Mahamat
[email protected]This salad is a bit time-consuming to make, but it's worth the effort.
Rachel McInnis
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of poppy seeds, but they were surprisingly good in this salad.
the gamer of all time best
[email protected]This salad is a great way to use up leftover wheat berries.
Onyeaghala Kings
[email protected]I love that this salad is both healthy and delicious.
anwar jamali
[email protected]This salad is a great make-ahead dish. I made it the day before and the flavors had time to meld together.
Cabdi Nuur
[email protected]I was surprised at how well the poppy seeds complemented the other flavors in the dish.
Ashiraf Kayongo
[email protected]The wheat berries gave the salad a nice chewy texture. I used dried cranberries instead of raisins and they added a tart sweetness.
Wadia Habib
[email protected]This dish is now a staple in my holiday repertoire.
Karishma Chand
[email protected]I've never had kucia before, but this recipe was easy to follow and the salad turned out delicious.
IM RAJPOOT
[email protected]This kucia salad was a hit at my Christmas Eve dinner! Everyone loved the unique combination of flavors and textures.