Whole-Grain Salad with Spring Vegetables

This whole-grain salad is delicious, balanced, and healthy. It can help you get more vegetables and whole grains while you save time by using up leftovers and making it ahead of time. With sweet peas and grape tomatoes, zesty mustard and red wine vinegar, crunchy cucumber and carrots, and satisfying whole grains, it’s a treat for any meal that’s high in fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants.

Variations and Serving Suggestions

• Use any shape of whole-grain pasta you like, such as elbows, penne, spaghetti, or rotini.
• For variety in your whole grains, swap pasta for barley, farro, bulgur, or whole-grain couscous. 
• For gluten-free whole grains, try quinoa or brown rice.
• For a grain-free salad, omit the pasta. Instead, use 2 cups of cooked, cubed sweet potato, butternut squash, or white potato.
• For a low-carb salad, omit the grains. Add 8-12 ounces of prepared tofu or cooked shredded skinless chicken, or 2 cups of cooked cauliflower florets and 2 ounces (¼ cup) of cashew halves or pieces.
• For variety, try apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. 
• For a main course salad with more protein, top each serving with 2-3 ounces of cooked protein like shrimp, skinless chicken, tuna, or falafel.
• For sweetness, add ½-1 cup of thinly sliced ripe pear or ripe cantaloupe.

Recipe for Whole-Grain Salad with Spring Vegetables

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 

Salad

• 1 ½ cups of cooked whole-wheat pasta
• 1 cup of peas or prepared sugar snap or snow peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup of diced Persian or English cucumber, or peeled regular cucumber
• 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup of shredded carrots
• ¼-½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. If using fresh peas, prepare a bowl of ice water. Boil the peas for 2-3 minutes to blanch them. Then place them in ice water to retain their bright green color. Drain.
2. In a large bowl, gently toss the pasta, peas, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, and parsley. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper.
4. Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve immediately or after refrigerating. 

Nutrition information per serving: 320 calories; 9 grams of fat; 1.5 grams of saturated fat; 100 mg of sodium; 55 grams of carbohydrates; 10 grams of sugar; 10 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams of protein

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