Green Freekeh with Herbs and Toasted Almonds
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and Food Network Kitchen.
Boiled whole freekeh tossed warm with a lemon and olive oil dressing, softened red onion, parsley and mint, topped with toasted almonds.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Boil the freekeh. Bring the 2500 ml water and the cooking salt to the boil, add the freekeh and simmer uncovered for 30-45 min, until tender but still chewy. Cracked freekeh only takes about 20 min, so taste early if that is what you have. Drain well.
- 2
Toast the almonds. Meanwhile, stir the almonds in the dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 5-7 min. Break one in half: it should be lightly golden inside and smell fragrant. Spread them on a plate so they stop cooking.
- 3
Soften the onion. Drop the diced onion into the bowl of iced water for 10 min, then drain well. The cold water draws out the harsh sulphur compounds, leaving the onion crisp and mild.
- 4
Dress while warm. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, 0.5 tsp salt and pepper together in the large mixing bowl. Add the warm freekeh, onion, parsley and chopped mint and toss; warm grains soak up the dressing more readily.
- 5
Serve. Taste and adjust, then pile into a serving bowl. Finish with the whole almonds and mint leaves, and serve warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Refrigerate the dressed freekeh covered up to 3 days; keep the almonds separate to stay crisp. Serve cold or at room temperature. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- large saucepan
- colander
- small frying pan
- small bowl of iced water
- sieve
- large mixing bowl
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 404 kcal |
| Protein | 11.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 48.5 g |
| of which sugars | 1.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 19.1 g |
| of which saturates | 2.2 g |
| Fibre | 9.9 g |
| Salt | 1.84 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
2.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
