Spelt Groats Salad with Pickled Cucumber and Egg Recipe
Spelt groats salad with pickled cucumber and egg combines traditional Polish flavours with a more modern grain. It is as filling as a classic potato salad, but lighter and richer in fibre. Perfect for a lunchbox, supper or as a side dish for a barbecue – the pickled cucumber and mustard give it a character that is hard to mistake for any other cuisine.
This salad brings together the familiar taste of Polish pickled cucumbers and mustard with nutritious spelt groats. It feels like a lighter, more modern cousin of traditional potato salad, while still being very satisfying.
Chef's tips
Make sure the groats are completely cooled before adding the dressing so it doesn’t become sticky. If your pickled cucumbers are very sour, you can reduce the amount of mustard slightly to keep the flavours balanced.
How to serve
Serve in a large bowl sprinkled with extra chives or dill. It’s great on a buffet table, for barbecues or as a hearty addition to a lunchbox.
Ingredients
- spelt groats can be replaced with pearl barley - 150 g
- eggs hard-boiled - 3 piece
- pickled cucumbers medium - 3 piece
- canned sweetcorn drained - 100 g
- chives chopped - 3 tablespoon
- mayonnaise - 2 tablespoon
- yogurt for a lighter dressing - 2 tablespoon
- mustard table mustard or Dijon - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Preparation
- Rinse the spelt groats in a sieve under running water. Transfer to a pot, pour in about 400 ml of water and lightly salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 15–20 minutes, until the groats are tender but not overcooked.
- After cooking, if there is any water left in the pot, drain it off. Leave the groats covered for a few minutes, then transfer to a bowl and let them cool completely. You can spread them out on a plate to cool faster.
- Hard-boil the eggs (about 8–10 minutes from the moment the water starts boiling), then pour cold water over them, peel and cut into larger cubes.
- Cut the pickled cucumbers into small cubes. If they are very juicy, you can gently squeeze out the excess liquid so the salad doesn’t become too watery.
- Drain the sweetcorn in a sieve. Finely chop the chives.
- In a small bowl, prepare the dressing: mix the mayonnaise, yogurt and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the eggs, pickled cucumbers, sweetcorn and chives to the bowl with the cooled groats. Gently mix.
- Add the prepared dressing and mix again so that all the ingredients are evenly coated. Taste and, if necessary, season with more salt and pepper.
- Place the salad in the fridge for at least 20–30 minutes so the flavours can meld. Serve chilled.
Storage
Sałatkę przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku do 3 dni. Przed podaniem zamieszaj, bo sos może lekko opaść na dno. Nie nadaje się do mrożenia, bo jajka i sos stracą dobrą konsystencję.
