This Carrot Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon Caraway Yogurt is a perfect fall salad that works well as a meal or as a first course if you like. It’s also a fun one to prepare for guests, because it’s just a little unusual. This Carrot Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon Caraway Yogurt makes a great meal because it’s chock full of good things and is served on filling wheat berries. I served it in small portions for my Scandinavian Thanksgiving Menu, but we were really glad there were leftovers so we could eat it for dinner for the next few days. And I continued to make it all winter long since it feels fresh and light while still being easy to make in the winter. And it’s fun to swap out the root vegetables or mix them up. It’s great with parsnips, rutabagas, turnips, etc. But don’t take my word for it, try out this Carrot Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon Caraway Yogurt and make it to your exact preference. Full disclosure, this recipe is based closely on a food and wine recipe. I made it because of its Scandinavian pallet and I was thrilled that it went so well with my own lemon-toasted caraway seeds that I make in bulk for snacks. Once you try this Carrot Wheat Berry Salad with Lemon Caraway Yogurt I’m certain it will make it into your standard rotation of fancy salads just as it did mine.
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion; finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves; finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika, plus more for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
- sea salt
- 1 ½ pounds carrots
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- ¾ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (the richest, best brand you can buy)
- 4 cups cooked wheat berries
- 2+ tablespoons lemon-toasted caraway seeds
- Scrub the carrots and cut them into bite-sized pieces on the bias so they’ll look nice.
- In a medium pot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil for a minute or two. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, (5 minutes or so).
- Stir in a tablespoon paprika and a generous pinch of salt and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 4 cups of water and the carrots and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until just tender (15-20 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain the carrots.
- To plate (I liked serving this in a shallow soup bowl) place a half cup of the wheat berries in the bottom of the bowl.
- Top with about a half cup of carrots.
- Dallop with yogurt. Sprinkle with chives and the lemon-toasted caraway seeds.
- Drizzle with good olive oil and perhaps some sea salt or paprika to your liking.
You had me at wheat berry, Barrett, but the idea of combining it with the caraway yogurt sealed the deal. What a wonderful-sounding dish!
Thanks. This is a personal favorite.
This is gorgeous! I love wheat berry salads and the addition of the caraway seeds sounds fantastic!
Me, too. The texture alone makes them so special.
What a beautiful salad, I love wheat berries and the lemon caraway yogurt sounds wonderful!
Thanks! The caraway seeds are definitely the star in my opinion.
What a lovely looking salad! It’s perfect for fall and the holidays. I love that yogurt topping…yum!
Thanks. I love making winter salads more exciting. It makes the loss of summer tomatoes more bearable.