Photo by Joseph De Leo; styled by Mariya Yufest

Last week, we worshipped wilted greens, but we're in the mood for something with a lighter feel now. Easily bruised mixed baby greens aren't the best candidate for warm applications, but their small frames and whimsical shapes bring loft to what would otherwise be a hearty, just-one-scoop-please grain and bean salad. 

Using canned garbanzos cuts down on cooking time, but wheat berries (or barley) aren't often available pre-cooked. Check out these basic cooking tips for wheat berries and barley for a quick primer. Both grains are pleasurably chewy when fully cooked, a quality that is difficult to replicate with substitutions. The good news is that chewiness won't dissipate immediately, so feel free to prepare them a day or two ahead of time.

Big Beautiful Salad with Lemon-Miso Dressing

Serves 8

4 ounces (about 8 cups) mixed baby lettuces
1/2 small head radicchio, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup cooked and cooled wheat berries or barley
1 bunch radishes, whole, halved or quartered
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons apple juice
3 tablespoons white miso paste
1 shallot, finely chopped

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

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Wine pairings:

Upon a quick look, most any white could work here, from Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay. What makes this salad a fun match-up is the addition of garbanzo beans and barley combined with the bitterness of radicchio and the salty-sweet dressing. Instead of a light wine, go for something with a little more weight like Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, or my favorite, Grüner Veltliner. Mostly, you need a wine with some texture and breadth, and Grüner Veltliner is one that can handle the tang of the greens and the grip of the grains.

Top Picks

2009 Domäne Wachau Grüner Veltliner, Austria
2006 Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

- Jake Rosenbarger

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Like this post? See the Make This Tonight post from last week: Penne with Creamed Greens and Pancetta.