FoodLink - Purdue Extension
Wheat Berry Chili

Wheat Berry Chili

Wheat berries add a unique texture to this flavor-packed chili recipe. This hearty, colorful one pot meal is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Recipe adapted from the What’s Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl website and Grain Chain.


Prep
20 min		 Cook
2 hr 10 min		 Total Time
2 hr 30 min
Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 cup wheat berries
3 cups water
1 large onion (chopped)
1/2 green sweet pepper (seeded and chopped)
1/2 yellow sweet pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 teaspoons chili powder (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 8-ounce can unsalted tomato sauce
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
1 15-ounce can unsalted kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 15-ounce can unsalted white beans (drained and rinsed)

Directions

  1. Add water and wheat berries to a medium saucepan. Bring water to a boil reduce heat, and simmer until wheat berries are tender (about 1 hour). Add more water if needed.
  2. Drain, and rinse wheat berries with cool water. Drain thoroughly.
  3. Add the oil to a large 4-quart pot, and heat over medium. Add onion and sweet peppers and saute until tender (about 5 minutes).
  4. Add remaining ingredients, including wheat berries, to the pot.
  5. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour (or it reaches a desired consistency). Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.