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The textures of this salad are good. There's juicy from the blood oranges, crumbly-creamy from the cheese, and chewy from the wheat berries. As for the flavors, oranges and feta are great together, and our dressing mirrors that sweet/tangy combination with onions, vinegar, and a bit of sugar.

What's missing is some color. We desperately wanted to add something green, but what? We went with a handful of parsley- nice but boring. Green beans didn't seem like a good fit. It needs to be light, not too overwhelming, but interesting. Maybe some arugula stirred in? Or thinly sliced napa cabbage?

This was a very satisfying, healthy lunch. But we're looking at it as a work in progress. What would you add? Let us know.

A note on the vinaigrette: This makes much more than you'll use for this salad, but it keeps well. The puréed onions make it fairly thick (and allow you to use less oil to get it creamy), but you can vary the ratio of vinegar to oil, depending on the consistency you prefer. Also, we wanted some balsamic vinegar for its sweet flavor but didn't want the dressing to be dark brown, hence the cider vinegar. Feel free to play around with your favorite vinegar.

Wheat Berry Salad with Blood Oranges, Feta, and Red Onion Vinaigrette
serves one (very generously) or two as a side dish

For the vinaigrette:
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (from about 3 sprigs)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
pepper

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor (we used an immersion blender in a tall-sided container). Add the vinegars, 1/2 cup of the olive oil, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.

For the salad:
1/2 cup soft wheat berries
2 blood oranges, sectioned
3 ounces feta cheese, cut into chunks
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add a sprinkle of salt and the wheat berries. Cook, uncovered, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the wheat berries with 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Stir to combine. Add the orange sections, feta, and parsley. Toss and serve.

Related: From the Files: Warm Grain Salads for Fall

(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)