Spelt Salad

The spelt salad is a tasty and nutritious dish, perfect for a summer lunch or as a side dish. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 250 g of pearled spelt
• 200 g of cherry tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red pepper
• 100 g of pitted black olives
• 150 g of feta cheese (optional for a more Mediterranean variant)
• A bunch of fresh basil
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice (to taste)

Preparation

1. Cook the spelt in plenty of salted water following the instructions on the package, usually about 20-30 minutes, until it is tender but still al dente. Once cooked, drain it and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and let it cool completely.
2. In the meantime, wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Wash the cucumber and the red pepper, remove the seeds and cut everything into cubes.
3. Prepare an emulsion with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to taste to dress your salad.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cooled spelt, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and diced red pepper, black olives and mix well.
5. Add the crumbled feta if you wish to include it, and the chopped fresh basil.
6. Dress the salad with the prepared emulsion, mix well and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving, so that the flavors blend well together.

This is a basic version, but remember that spelt salad is very versatile: you can add other ingredients such as thin slices of red onion, tuna, capers or arugula to further personalize it.

Curiosity

Spelt is an ancient grain, highly valued in the Mediterranean diet for its nutritional value and for its versatility in the kitchen. It can be used in soups, salads, and even as a substitute for rice in risottos.