Description
A light salad with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean ingredients using the ancient grain, cracked freekeh.
Serve it warm or cold on your green salad with fennel, pomegranates and fresh herbs of parsley and mint. It all comes together with a bright sumac and lime dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cracked freekeh
- Citrus Sumac Salad Dressing
- 1 big bunch parsley, leaves and tender stems rough chopped (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 large fennel bulb, fronds torn, and bulb thinly sliced
- 1 cup mint leaves, torn
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce, sliced into 1-inch shreds
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds (2 pomegranates)
- 1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced (optional)
- Feta (optional)
Instructions
- Start by cooking the freekeh. Bring 2 ½ cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add 1 cup of cracked freekeh, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- While freekeh is cooking, prepare your Citrus Sumac Salad Dressing in the blender.
- In a medium bowl, combine the warm freekeh with ¼ cup of the dressing. Set aside to cool. Add parsley, half the fennel and mint. Add an additional ¼ cup of dressing and toss well to combine.
- Prepare your salad bowls with a base of romaine and remaining fennel. Top with ½ cup of the freekeh salad. Garnish with pomegranates, radish and feta as desired.
Notes
When making a salad with pre-washed lettuce greens, give them a rough chop before putting in your salad bowl. Smaller lettuce pieces make it easier to eat.
This is an easy recipe to make for meal prep. Store your greens separately from the freekeh salad. Store remaining dressing on the side and drizzle when ready to eat.
If using whole freekeh, be sure to soak overnight for optimal enjoyment and digestive support.
Use a mandolin for slicing the fennel and radish for best results. Use the mini, 1.5 or 1/16 setting.