Middle Eastern & North African · Lunch · Dinner
Freekeh Salad
سلطة فريكة (Salatet Freekeh)
Nutty, smoky green wheat tossed with crunchy cucumber, sweet tomatoes, chickpeas and a big handful of parsley and mint, all brightened with a lemony garlic dressing. It is hearty enough for lunch on its own and travels well.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 60% · Fat 26% · Protein 14%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 cup160 gcracked freekeh
- 2 1/2 cups600 gwater
- 1 can (about 1 1/2 cups drained)240 gcanned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 large300 gcucumber
- 1 1/2 cups250 gcherry tomatoes
- 1 large bunch60 gfresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup loosely packed20 gfresh mint leaves
- 460 gspring onions
- 3 tbsp (about 1 1/2 lemons)45 glemon juice
- 2 tbsp27 gextra virgin olive oil
- 1 clovegarlic
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1/2 tspblack pepper
- 1/2 cup85 gpomegranate seeds (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the freekeh in a sieve under cold water and pick out any husks or small stones.
- 2
Toast the drained freekeh in a dry saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty.
- 3
Add the water and half of the salt, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes until tender with a slight chew.
- 4
Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes, then drain off any leftover water.
- 5
Spread the freekeh on a large plate or tray and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- 6
While the freekeh cooks, dice the cucumber, halve the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the spring onions.
- 7
Finely chop the parsley and mint, using the tender parsley stems too.
- 8
Crush or finely grate the garlic.
- 9
Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, black pepper and remaining salt in a large bowl.
- 10
Add the cooled freekeh, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, spring onions and herbs to the bowl and toss well with the dressing.
- 11
Taste and adjust with more lemon or pepper, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds if using and serve.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, swap the freekeh for cooked quinoa, cooking it according to the packet directions.
- Use bulgur wheat instead of freekeh if it is easier to find; it cooks faster, so follow the packet timing.
- Replace the pomegranate seeds with dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a sweet note when pomegranates are out of season.
- Swap the chickpeas for cooked white beans or lentils if that is what you have in the cupboard.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days; the herbs and cucumber soften over time, so it is best on the first day or two. Do not freeze the finished salad, as the cucumber and tomatoes turn watery.
Make ahead
Cook and cool the freekeh and whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead, keeping them separately covered in the fridge. Chop the vegetables and herbs on the day and toss everything together shortly before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: Gluten
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (444 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 318 kcal | 72 kcal |
| Protein | 12.1 g | 2.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51 g | 11.5 g |
| of which sugars | 9.2 g | 2.1 g |
| Fiber | 10.7 g | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 9.6 g | 2.2 g |
| of which saturated | 1.2 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 735 mg | 166 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
