Cranberry Apple Buckwheat Salad
This healthy buckwheat salad has vibrant flavors wih tart, sweet, and earthy notes. This salad is great for when apples are in season in the fall, as a dynamic meal for energy in the summer, or for the winter days of hibernation at home.
Ingredients
Cooking Buckwheat Groats
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 cup raw buckwheat groats
- pinch of salt or add a bouillon cube for flavor
Assemble The Salad
- 1 stalk celery finely diced
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
- 2 small apples chopped
- 2 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- 2 cups baby spinach
Instructions
Cook Buckwheat Groats
- There are various methods for cooking buckwheat groats. If you have a tried and true method then definitely use it! I'll share what works for me:
- Rinse the buckwheat well in a strainer under cold water. (This is a very important step.)
- Add the rinsed buckwheat, water and salt to a medium sized pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium-heat. Add a tight fitting lid and lower the heat. Allow the buckwheat to simmer with the lid on for 7-10 minutes. Remove from the heat when the liquid is absorbed.
- Allow the buckwheat to stand for 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Allow the buckwheat to cool down before adding to the salad.
- Note: I have had success with rinsing my buckwheat groats after cooking if they come out too clumped together. I rinse and then lay out on a kitchen towel to allow them to dry a bit.
Assemble The Salad
- Finely chop the celery, apple and green onion.
- Assemble all the salad ingredients in a large bowl or platter and toss to combine. Add the dressing of your choice and enjoy!
- Note: I dress this salad simply with a drizzle of olive oil, splash of apple cider vinegar and a few shakes of herbamare seasoning and it's delicious!