Pic of Wheatberries and purple sprouting broccoli with crispy garlic and chilli

Wheatberries and purple sprouting broccoli with crispy garlic and chilli

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Vegetarian mains

Wheatberries and purple sprouting broccoli with crispy garlic and chilli

Main Serves 2 45 min
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

Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 40 min

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.