A vibrant, healthy, springtime bowl that leaves you satisfied and energized, this recipe comes together quickly if you cook the rye berries and prepare the pickled onions in advance. I cook the grains the day before (or even the weekend before) I make this salad, and I always make the quick-pickled onions up to a week in advance. Then I’m just chopping veggies and dressing the salad, and dinner is on the table.
This recipe calls for Persian (or English) cucumbers, as they have a thin skin and very few seeds, so you don’t have to peel or fuss with them. You’ll end up having some leftover pickled onions, which is great for all the future salads and grain bowls in your life.
Start to Finish Time: 75 minutes | Serves: 4–6 (4 as a main dish; 6 as a side)
For the Quick-Pickled Onions:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
For the Creamy Caper Sauce:
- 1 small garlic clove, thinly minced
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoons horseradish
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more to top
- pinch kosher salt
- pinch fresh ground pepper
- 1/3 cup capers, drained and rinsed
For the Salad:
- 1 cup whole rye berries (I think you should keep the grams in for the grains)
- 1 Persian cucumber, seeded, halved lengthwise, sliced into 1/2-inch half-moon pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 5 small red radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced, then sliced into matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more to top
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces smoked salmon, torn into bite-sized pieces
Make the Quick-Pickled Onions: Place sliced onion in a small bowl. Bring vinegar, sugar and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to ensure they’re mixed well. Pour over onion slices and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Drain onions before using. Note: can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Keep leftover onions covered and refrigerated along with the vinegar mixture. .
Start the Salad: Place the rye berries in a medium saucepan with 4 cups of salted water. Over medium-high heat, bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the grains are tender and chewy, 50–60 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain away any excess water, and set aside.
Make the Creamy Caper Sauce: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, yogurt, olive oil, horseradish, apple cider vinegar, dill, salt, and pepper. Stir in the capers and set aside.
Finish the Salad: In a large salad bowl, fold together the rye berries, cucumber, radishes, fennel, parsley, chives, and salt. Chop 1/4 cup of the quick-pickled onions, and fold them in. Dress salad with the creamy caper sauce. Carefully fold in the smoked salmon. Serve in shallow bowls, topped with additional chopped chives and dill. Leftovers can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 4 days.