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
5
Mike
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
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
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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