Jewelled freekeh salad with tahini & pumpkin seeds

I bought from Freekeh the other day as I haven’t actually cooked with it before, so I was curious to find out what it was like. It has quite a smokey taste, which I initially thought might be hard to balance, but the fresh crunchy veg, herbs and nutty tahini in this salad work perfectly with it to give a really interesting depth of flavour.

Freekeh is wheat that has been harvested early, which means it contains more nutrients. It has a similar texture and nutty flavour to bulgur, but also has a distinctive smokiness that sets it apart from all other grains. It’s packed with protein and fibre or prebiotics (indigestible fibres linked to promoting the growth of helpful bacteria in your microbiome). It also contains magnesium (food energy conversion, muscle & nerve health, mood boosting, anti-inflammatory), iron (major component of hemoglobin, a type of protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs around the body), potassium (regulates body fluid, nerve & muscle health), calcium (healthy bones) and zinc (immune support)

And as freekeh is low on the glycemic index chart (a rating scale where foods are ranked based on how much they raise your blood sugar), you won’t get a blood sugar spike, followed by a drop causing fatigue and the urge to eat again. So basically it gives you sustained energy and keeps you full for longer.

Ingredients

Serves 6-9

• 250g freekeh

• 200g cherry vine tomatoes, quartered

• ½ cucumber, 1cm cubes, seeds removed

• 4-5 spring onions, chopped finely

• 1 red pepper, small dice

• A large handful of parsley leaves

• A large handful of coriander leaves

• 3-4 tbsp pomegranate seeds

• 40-50g pumpkin seeds

Dressing

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 100ml water

• ½ tsp sea salt

• Juice of ½ lemon

• A generous pinch of sea salt

Method

• Rinse the freekeh and simmer for 20 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside in a sieve.

• Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan for 6-8 minutes until they start to pop and turn a little brown.

• Mix all the dressing ingredients together and whisk with a fork until you have a light and creamy texture.

• Tip the freekeh into a large serving bowl and stir in the chopped vegetables and herbs with a pinch or two of salt.

• Drizzle the dressing over the salad generously and then finish by topping with pumpkin and pomegranate seeds.

tip

• Think of this salad as a bit like a tabbouleh, it’s the carb element on your plate, so you could serve it with with a BBQ, or grilled fish. Last night we ate it with falafels, pitta and hummus (pictured below) which was lovely. And then for lunch I added sliced avocado, vine tomatoes and a slice of fresh bread and butter.

• Feel free to add more or less fresh herbs, it’s a matter of personal taste. I like quite a lot, but if you don’t, then go easy! You could also switch coriander for mint or dill if you prefer - or add all four herbs! You can’t really go too far wrong.

• Toasted pistachios or almonds would be great subs for the pumpkin seeds too.

New Year tabbouleh salad

Happy New year everyone! Not the start we all wanted for 2021, but at least there is light at the end of a very long tunnel with the vaccine roll out.

Anyway, here’s the first salad I made this year as I really needed a break from winter comfort food. I made a big bowl to last us for a few days and I’ve been enjoying my lunches so much. I’ve used pomegranate molasses in the dressing because I happened to have a big bottle and I’m trying to use my store cupboard up, but you can replace with red or white wine vinegar and a squirt of runny honey. I know it’s not easy getting quirky ingredients at the moment, but everything else is pretty straight forward.

The salad is vegan if you just top with a sprinkle of toasted sunflower seeds, but veggie with the addition of crumbled feta. It’s up to you!

Ingredients

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 150g Puy or small green lentils

• 150g bulgur wheat

• 1/2 red onion, chopped finely

• 1 handful cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 3 sticks celery, thinly sliced

• 1 red pepper, chopped

• 1/2 cucumber, seeded centre removed & chopped

• 1 handful chopped parsley

• 1 handful chopped coriander

• Generous pinch sea salt

• Approx 50g sunflower seeds

• 150g feta, crumbled

  Dressing

• 50ml olive oil

• Juice 1/2 lemon

• 20ml pomegranate molasses

Method

• Cook the lentils as per the packet instructions, usually simmer for 20 minutes, but add a spoon of vegetable bouillon to the water.

• Cook the bulgur according to th packet instructions (about 12 minutes). Drain both well and allow to cool completely.

• Toast the sunflower seeds in a frying pan (no oil) on a medium heat, but watch them like a hawk as they’ll suddenly burn. Set aside to cool on a plate.

• Next put all the chopped vegetables and herbs in a large bowl. Stir in the cooled lentils and bulgur.

• Mix the dressing ingredients together and give them a good shake.

• Pour over the dressing, and top with seeds and feta

Tip

• If, like me, you’re making this salad to eat for lunch or dinner over a few days then keep all the elements separate and mix a portion at a time as you eat it. This way the salad should last about 4 days.

• The main thing to keep separate is the dressing as adding liquid will make the veggies go soggy.