Freekeh superfood salad with Persian feta

By Gina Fox, FGHG Naturopath

– based on recipe from Oxfam website

Freekeh is a superfood. It is an ancient form of wheat made from young, whole-grain, green wheat kernels that have been roasted and sun-dried. This gives it a lovely nutty, slightly smokey flavour and because the wheat is so young when it’s harvested, it holds plenty of nutritional value. Freekeh is very high in protein and fibre, which helps you feel full and satisfied, whilst also being great for beneficial gut bugs, supporting healthy digestion and keeping you regular. It is also rich in minerals such as magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron – essential for good health.

Being packed with nutrition and flavour, this freekeh salad is sure to add health to any meal, without compromising on taste. It pairs well with roast meats, fish, roasted eggplant slices, roasted chickpeas, grilled haloumi cheese, lamb koftas or meatballs but it’s also filling enough to have a stand alone dish. What’s more, its super easy and can be made in a big batch to feed a group or help get you through the week. You can find Freekeh at most health food stores and supermarkets, in the grains section.

Ingredients

• 1 cup freekeh
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 6 tbs toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup currants
• 1/4 cup barberries (optional)
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 bunch mint, roughly chopped
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley or equivalent baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 100g Persian feta

Dressing

• 3 tbs olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tbs preserved lemon, finely chopped

Method

• Bring stock to the boil, add freekeh and cook until tender or the stock is absorbed, approximately 20 mins.
• Remove freekeh and allow to cool.
• In a bowl, combine freekeh (breaking up any lumps), pine nuts, currants, red onion, mint and parsley or baby spinach leaves.
• Combine dressing ingredients and pour over.