Wheat Berries with Butternut Squash Edamame and Cranberries is a light, festive side dish to add to your holiday menu. This side dish is packed with protein and nutrients and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

WHEAT BERRIES WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH EDAMAME AND CRANBERRIES

Disclosure: I was asked to participate in the #soyinspired campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network and was compensated for my time. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that help make A Cedar Spoon possible.

Thanksgiving is less than one month away.

My family has started planning our annual trip to see my parents in Tennessee, which of course includes menu planning.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, because of course I like to eat, and I enjoy relaxing, spending time with my family in the mountains.

We always start our Thanksgiving day with a turkey trot run and then prepare to cook and enjoy good food all day.

I love making today’s Wheat Berries with Butternut Squash Edamame and Cranberries along with my Herb Butter Roasted Turkey, Sweet Potato Casserole and this Lemon Arugula Salad.

The perfect pairing for a holiday meal!

If you are also in holiday menu planning mode you are in luck!

I am excited to be teaming up with The Soyfoods Council again this year to bring you another festive side dish {or salad} that you can add to your holiday menu.

Last year I shared an Edamame Chickpea Feta Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing that my family enjoyed on Thanksgiving day.

I like trying new dishes each year and push the boundaries to create something that my family wouldn’t normally eat.

While Thanksgiving is about the traditional foods we all love {hello sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin pie}, there is always room for new foods at the table.

We like to have a variety of sides and salads on our table and Wheat Berry with Butternut Squash Edamame and Cranberries will be making an appearance this year.

With a dish like this you can easily create a salad out of it by adding some greens to the mix {try kale, mixed greens or arugula}. Make the dish according to the directions and lay it over the greens when you are ready to serve it.

The main stars of this dish are the edamame, roasted butternut squash, wheat berries and dried cranberries.

The roasted butternut squash and dried cranberries add a sweet flavor to the dish.

The edamame {also known as soybeans} is a good source of lean, healthy, no-cholesterol protein and is a subtle flavor that pairs well with fall flavors, like the dried cranberries, butternut squash and the sunflower seeds.

The wheat berries add a chewy, nutty texture to the side dish.

Wheat berries are high in protein, rich in vitamins B1 and B3; and the minerals magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese and selenium.

So the short of it? This salad is packed with nutrients, vitamins and protein. You can feel good about putting this on your table over the holidays!

I used an orange vinaigrette to dress the side dish but you could use a variety of dressings from balsamic to a lemon based dressing or even just simple olive oil and salt.

When serving this dish serve it warm or cold depending on what your preferences are. It also is easy to make this dish ahead of time and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to soak the flavors in.

You might have to add a little extra dressing if you do make this ahead as the wheat berries tend to soak up the dressing as it sits.

OTHER SIDE DISH RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

EASY SCALLOPED SWEET POTATOES

ROASTED MUSHRROMS

BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFING

BUTTERNUT SQUASH APPLE BAKE

CHEESY BUTTERNUT SQUASH ORZO

ROASTED CARROTS WITH PISTACHIOS

Wheat Berries with Butternut Squash, Edamame and Cranberries

Name: Wheat Berries with Butternut Squash, Edamame and Cranberries
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 4 tablespoons orange juice; 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup; 3 cups water; 1 cup wheat berries {6 oz}, rinsed; 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed {about 2 cups cubed}; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 12 oz. bag of shelled edamame {soybeans}; 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; Salt and pepper to taste; 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley; Zest of half of an orange {optional}

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Wheat Berries with Butternut Squash, Edamame and Cranberries is a light, festive side dish to add to your holiday menu. This side dish is packed with protein and nutrients and is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 cup wheat berries {6 oz}, rinsed
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed {about 2 cups cubed}
2 Tablespoons olive oil
12 oz. bag of shelled edamame {soybeans}
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
Zest of half of an orange {optional}

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Instructions

Rinse the wheat berries under cold water. Combine the 3 cups water, 1 cup wheat berries and a dash of salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes until the wheat berries are chewy but not tough. Drain berries in a strainer and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Peel and remove the seeds from the butternut squash. Cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes and put them into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the 2 Tablespoons olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat. Pour the butternut squash on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, using a metal spatula to flip the butternut squash occasionally.
While the butternut squash cooks, cook the shelled edamame according to the package. Drain and set aside.
Once the squash in done roasting remove from the oven and set aside.
In a large salad bowl mix together the butternut squash, wheat berries, edamame, sunflower seeds,dried cranberries and fresh parsley. Gently toss to mix.
In a salad dressing mixer or mason jar combine the olive oil, orange juice and maple syrup and shake to combine. Pour the dressing over the side dish and gently toss to combine. Add orange zest right before serving {optional}.

Julie

Sunday 19th of November 2017

Could this be made ahead of time?

Julia

I think so--how far ahead are you thinking? You would probably want to wait and do the dressing when you are ready to eat. Let me know how it goes!

Christine

Monday 23rd of October 2017

Hi - Wondering what kind of wheat berry you used. I have never cooked wheat berries and see there are hard red, white, soft varieties, etc. Thanks very much!

Hi there, Most of the time I use Bob's Red Mill, Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat Berries. I think any of them would work fine though! Hope you like it.

Cathy Trochelman

Monday 2nd of November 2015

This looks like the perfect holiday side! I love all the gorgeous color!!!

Jaren (Diary of a Recipe Collector)

Friday 30th of October 2015

Such a beautiful and healthy dish!

Rachel @ Simple Seasonal

Yummy! This is my kind of dish! What a great combination of healthy and hearty flavors!