Vegetarian mains
Wheatberries and purple sprouting broccoli with crispy garlic and chilli
A hearty and healthy lunch combining toothsome wheatberries, clean greens and crispy fried onions. Wheatberries are the entire wheat kernel except for the hull. They take a while to cook but have a good nutty texture, lending real substance to a dish.
Cook's notes
Variation Pearled spelt or barley work as substitutions for the wheatberries, or, to save time, choose couscous or bulghur.
Ingredients
- 100g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed if necessary
- 100g wheatberries (or one of the alternatives below)
- 4 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
- 1 fresh red chilli, very finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, very finely sliced
- handful of Crispy Fried Onions (optional)
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Boil the purple sprouting broccoli for 3–4 minutes, until just tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into very cold water before draining. Add the wheatberries to the same water and cook for 25 minutes, or until cooked but still chewy. Drain in a colander.
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Step 2
Wipe out the pan and heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the chilli and garlic and fry, stirring, until the garlic has turned golden.
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Step 3
Add the broccoli and fry for a couple more minutes, then add the drained wheatberries and a handful of crispy fried onions, if using. Mix everything together, check the seasoning and add a dash more oil if it seems dry. Serve warm.