Fresh Cherry Salad with Whole Grains & Feta

A whole grain salad packed with juicy, sweet summer cherries, hearty wheat berries, feta, and simple cherry vinaigrette. This fresh cherry salad is perfect if you're looking for a nourishing lunch made with plant-forward, seasonal produce.

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This salad has lived rent-free in my head for YEARS! Ever since I published this simple cherry vinaigrette recipe, I had an idea to make a grain-based salad with this particular flavor combination. When I finally made it, it was every bit as good as I had dreamed!

These days, I consider myself a part-time vegetarian, so I eat a lot of bean and grain-based meals. It helps me get more fiber, more plant variety, support the environment, and overall just feel nourished. If you're trying to eat more plant-forward meals, too, grain-based salad recipes are so helpful to have on hand.

So if you're willing to simmer a pot of wheat berries for a salad that tastes like summer, get in. We've got fresh cherries, feta, walnuts, basil, red onion, greens, and an awesome cherry vinaigrette to join the party.

Jump to:

• Buying Grains Locally
• How to Make This Grain Salad
• How to Add More Protein
• How I Recommend Serving
• More Grain Salads
• 📖 Recipe

Buying Grains Locally

While you can find wheat berries just about anywhere, it's worth checking to see if you have local wheat berries or other whole grains available to you.

Like vegetables and fruits, locally grown grains are fresh and don't need to be transported far to get to you, so you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Plus, the quality is amazing! I've loved incorporating more whole, local grains into my week as an affordable and nourishing way to make grain bowls, salads, and breakfasts. This kale and farro salad is a favorite, plus I go back to my simple wheat berry salad again and again.

Other Grains to Try

I used wheat berries here, and I love them for grain salads because they're nutty and chewy. Other good options to try would be black rice, short grain rice, rye berries, oat groats, or farro.

How to Make This Grain Salad

How to Add More Protein

With the feta, walnuts, and grains, this salad recipe does have some protein, but as an athlete I often like to add more. I'll typically add some chickpeas, tempeh, smoked trout, or salmon (smoked or leftover). Chicken would be good as well!

Also, if your main meal is more protein-forward, this makes an excellent side salad.

How I Recommend Serving

I usually use about half the dressing, and set the rest aside for anyone that wants to drizzle more on top their bowl. So you'll probably have extra cherry vinaigrette if you serve it that way, too.

If you're not planning to serve immediately, I'd store the dressing and the salad separately in the fridge and dress right before serving. This helps keep everything as fresh as possible, and nothing gets mushy.

Finally, if looks matter to you, reserve a bit of feta to sprinkle on top after. Everything's getting soaked with cherry vinaigrette here, so you might lose a bit of color contrast.

More Grain Salads

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