Rating
5
Average: 5 (4 votes)
Active time
30 minutes
Total time
1 hour 30 minutes + overnight soak
Yield
about 6 servings
Nutritioni
Ingredients

1 cup rye berries

3 cups filtered water or vegetable stock

2 cups raw walnuts

1 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp walnut oil

2 tsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, or to taste

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, duck fat, or lard

2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted over medium heat until fragrant

2 medium red onions, diced

3 cloves garlic, green germ removed and minced

5 cups shredded Savoy or Napa cabbage

¼ cup chopped parsley

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Heat a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the rye berries and toast for approximately 5 minutes, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. When the berries have darkened considerably and a nutty aroma fills the room, pour them into a strainer and rinse well with cold water to arrest cooking. Return berries to the cooled pot; cover with 2 ½ cups water or stock and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring the rye berries and soaking liquid to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and allow the rye to simmer for approximately 45 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste; allow to simmer for 15 minutes more, or until the berries are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
  3. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and place in the oven. Toast for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven, toss with 1 teaspoon walnut oil and a pinch of salt. Set walnuts aside.
  4. Once the rye berries are tender, add remaining ½ cup of water or stock, honey, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons walnut oil; set aside and keep warm.
  5. Heat olive oil (or duck fat or lard) in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic; allow to soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add shredded cabbage, a generous pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and toasted caraway seeds. Stir to coat cabbage in the onions and oil; cover the pan and allow the cabbage to steam in its own liquid, about 6-8 minutes, or until tender.
  6. Add cabbage, walnuts, and parsley to rye berries; stir to combine. Taste for seasoning; add more salt, cider vinegar, or mustard to taste. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Michelle McKenzie.

Nutrition

Calories: 640
Total Fat: 39 g
(Saturated Fat: 4 g)
Sodium: 210 mg
Carbohydrate: 62 g
Fiber: 5 g
Protein: 17 g

Yield: about 6 servings

How'd it Taste?

Les
February 7, 2017
5
Mike
October 28, 2018
5
Amazing. Recommended. Toasting the rye is a great idea. Didn’t cook rye for the 45mins-1 hour, only took 15 mins since I soaked at room temperature. Made the mustard sauce separately before adding to dish, will use sauce for other applications too, so tasty. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
Shelley
February 23, 2021
5
It's the 1st time I tried Rye Berries, and to cook it this way was so delicious!! Truly enjoyed my lunch! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Kate
January 24, 2022
5
Excellent, even though I didn't toast the rye--but want to next time for variety's sake. There is so much you can do with this recipe; for instance, I divided the recipe quantities in half--for 3 servings rather than for 6, but I upped the cabbage quantity because I had a lot of cabbage. Still delicious.

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