Tested and Perfected by Food and Wine
Kamut Salad
© Kate Mathis

Kamut Salad

Contributed by
  • ACTIVE: 25 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 6
  • •HEALTHY
  • •VEGETARIAN

After cooking in the Google cafeteria, Nate Keller and Mirit Cohen started Gastronaut (gastronautsf.com), a San Francisco catering company that often creates healthy lunches for tech companies. For this salad, Keller uses kamut, an heirloom wheat that has a naturally sweet, buttery flavor.

  1. 1/2 vanilla bean
  2. 1 small carrot, halved lengthwise
  3. 1 small celery rib, halved
  4. 6 tablespoons olive oil
  5. 2 cups dried kamut berries
  6. 1 small onion, halved
  7. 2 blood oranges
  8. 1 medium shallot, minced
  9. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  10. Salt
  11. Freshly ground pepper
  12. 10 strawberries, quartered
  13. 2 packed cups baby spinach
  1. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a small bowl. Using kitchen twine, tie the vanilla bean, carrot and celery halves together. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the kamut and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until toasted, 1 minute. Add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the vegetable bundle and onion halves. Cover partially and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the kamut is just tender, about 1 hour. Drain the kamut and discard the vegetables.
  2. Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of 1 orange into the bowl with the vanilla seeds. Add the shallot and lemon juice. Using a knife, remove the peel and white pith from both oranges. Cut in between the membranes to release the sections into a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into the small bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 5 tablespoons of oil.
  3. Add the kamut to the orange sections in the large bowl. Stir in the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the strawberries and spinach and serve.