Grain Explorations: Wheat Berry Chili

Wheat Berries?  Are they a grain or a berry?  Hard wheat berries are the whole wheat kernel before it's made into flour.  They have a wonderful texture and when cooked almost pop in your mouth like a good current or blueberry.  Wheat berries are similar to brown rice, but with a different texture.

The inspiration from this recipe came from a Wheat Berry Chili posted by Eating Well, but thanks to the "we move in less than two weeks and I have to clean out the fridge, freezer, and cabinets" mentality it became a pretty different recipe.

A few extra tips when cooking grains.

1. Always rinse them thoroughly and watch for stones!
2. Most of the grains, such as wheat berries, can be made and frozen.  That way you can pull a cup of cooked grains out of the freezer for a quick dinner or breakfast.
3. Pretty much any grain can be used in place of oatmeal for a hot breakfast!

Wheat Berry Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion chopped
• 1-2 peppers, any color chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
• 4 fresh tomatoes, diced (save juices to add also)
• 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely diced (Use a second pepper if you like it spicy!)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked wheat berries
• 2 large handfuls spinach or any other green, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

Directions

Cook wheat berries as directed.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute for 5-10 minutes.  Add chopped peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano,cilantro, salt and pepper.  Saute until spices are fragrant and onion and pepper are soft, stirring occasionally. 

Add rinsed beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, chipotle and broth.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in chopped spinach and wheat berries.  Heat through until spinach is wilted.

Combine the lime juice, avocado, and red onion to spoon on top of the chili. If you have it, add 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro.

And there you have it, a very hearty chili.  If you use vegetarian broth, it's vegetarian, but either way it's scrumptious.