wheatberry and orzo veggie salad

Dinner last night was inspired by a recipe read on the internet by Ina Garten for a wheatberry salad.
Here's the original recipe:
1 cup hard winter wheatberries
Kosher salt
1 cup finely diced red onion (1 onion)
6 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 scallions, minced, white and green parts
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 carrot, small diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the wheatberries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain.
Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl, combine the warm wheatberries, sauteed onions, scallions, red bell pepper, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheatberries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Notes: I added about 1/4 cup of cooked orzo and lessened the wheatberry amount to 1/2 a cup. I also added more veggies like lettuce, okra, colored bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, sliced salami, capers and grated parmesan. The dressing I used was the lemon-oregano vinaigrette which I made before (here). Instead of soaking the wheatberries in the dressing, I put a little onto the salad and tossed it before eating. This salad had a chewy texture from the wheatberries and really went well with the rolls I made earlier today.

Enjoy!