Last Updated on 02/07/2024 by Adina
This spelt grain salad is packed with healthy ingredients like spelt, red cabbage, and carrots. It's drizzled with a delicious lemon honey dressing.
You will absolutely love this flavorful spelt grain salad! The nutty and chewy spelt berries, the crunch of the carrots and red cabbage, all coated in that delicious lemon honey dressing.
I love these hearty salads, which can be eaten on their own and include grains, beans, or noodles. I've eaten many bulgur wheat salads or couscous salads before, but this was the first time I had made a salad with spelt.
Ever since, I've made this particular salad or variations of it many times. I always seem to have an open bag of spelt berries or other grains in my pantry. Check out these Sweet Potato Cabbage Rolls made with another ancient grain - amaranth.
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Recipe ingredients
Spelt: You can polished or unpolished grains. The polished ones need only about 20 minutes of cooking time, but check the package instructions. The unpolished sort (what I use now) needs a longer cooking time, about 50 – 60 minutes, but check the package instructions again.
Try our amazing Spelt Bread (No-Knead, No-Rise) or Spelt Flour Carrot Cake.
Vegetables: Red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Check out Purple Cabbage and Carrot Slaw, too.
Other grains: You can also make the salad with other grains, such as soft wheat berries, millet, emmer/farro, freekeh, or sorghum. Again, just ensure you cook them according to the package's instructions.
Other vegetable suggestions include white or green cabbage, finely chopped broccoli (raw or very shortly steamed), sliced leeks or red peppers, kohlrabi, chopped spinach, or other greens.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make spelt grain salad?
- Step #1: Cook the grains, drain well, and let cool slightly.
- Step #2: In the meantime, prepare the veggies: finely slice the red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Place grains and vegetables in a large bowl.
- Step #3: Mix the dressing ingredients with the still-warm grains and the vegetables. Adjust the taste.
- Step #4: Let the spelt grain salad sit for at least 2 hours before serving; this way, the flavors will have time to mingle and develop, and the red cabbage and carrots will soften slightly.
Good to know!
Make sure you check the package regarding cooking times; they can differ from one sort of grain to another and even from one brand to another.
Make ahead and store
The spelt salad is best served at room temperature.
It can be made ahead, but keep it in the refrigerator if you let it sit for more than 2 hours. Bring it to room temperature before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
This spelt grain salad is also a great potluck salad; it can be prepared ahead of time, you can make a large batch, and it also keeps well if left on the table for several hours (unless the weather is super hot!)
The salad makes a great filling meal on its own, but you can also serve it as a side dish for grilled meats or roast chicken, for instance.
Spelt Grain Salad
Ingredients
Spelt grain salad (Note 1):
- 1 cup spelt grains Note 2
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups red cabbage shredded
- 2 medium carrots
- 4 green onions
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons runny honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher, more or less to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook spelt grains in salted water according to your package instructions. Drain well and let cool down a bit.1 cup spelt grains/ 200 g + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Chop vegetables: In the meantime, finely slice the red cabbage, carrots, and green onions. Then, combine the grains with the vegetables.2 cups red cabbage/ 200 g + 2 medium carrots + 4 green onions
- Mix all the dressing ingredients and combine them with the salad. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 tablespoons runny honey + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1 garlic clove + ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt + ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Let the spelt salad sit for about 2 hours before serving, and adjust the taste again. Add more salt, pepper, vinegar, or lemon juice, if necessary. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
- The salad needs to spend at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
- Spelt grains can be polished or unpolished, and the cooking time depends on that. Make sure you check the packet's instructions. Polished grains only need about 20 minutes, while unpolished ones need about 40 minutes. I use unpolished. dd
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Adina, this is fabulous and I LOVE the pictures of your daughter, so cute! Thanks for making this and for sharing!
Adina says
Thank you, it was really a fun cooking day today.