Description
What am I eating right now? This herbed freekeh salad with avocado, pistachios and citrus vinaigrette. I’m absolutely hooked on it — it’s got so many bright flavors, contrasting textures, and yummy things going on. Another cool thing about it is that you can use this as a recipe template and make it hundreds of different ways so you can match the season or use up what you have on hand just by varying the grain and produce picks. But when in doubt, simply make this recipe as is … it’s awesome!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons fresh navel orange zest, divided
- 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed navel orange juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste, divided
- 4 cups cooked freekeh, farro, or other whole grain of choice, chilled*
- 2 ounces (1/3 cup) dried organic apricots or figs, finely diced
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2.5 ounces (2 1/2 cups packed) fresh baby arugula
- 0.5 ounces (1/2 cup packed) fresh herbs, such as basil and mint leaves, torn
- 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
- 1/3 cup salted roasted pistachios
- 3 ounces soft cashew cheese or goat cheese, crumbled (Tip: I used Treeline Dairy-Free Goat Cheese)
Instructions
- WHISK VINAIGRETTE: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon of orange zest, all of the orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, all of the olive oil, and 3/4 teaspoon of salt.
- STIR IN FREEKEH & PRODUCE: Stir in the chilled freekeh. Stir in the dried fruit, scallions, arugula, and herbs. Fold in the avocado and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- ADD TOPPERS: When ready to serve, sprinkle with the pistachios, cashew cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon orange zest.
Notes
*Hint: I make this recipe with 1 (8.8-ounce) package dry 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Freekeh. It’s a quicker-cooking variety. Simply bring a large saucepan of salted water and the dry freekeh to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 13 minutes. Then remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes to complete the cooking process. Drain well, transfer to a glass dish, and let stand for 15-20 minutes to cool at room temperature. Finally, fluff the freekeh with a fork, cover, and chill until recipe time. I usually make this a day in advance for recipe use. (Makes 4 cups/19 ounces cooked freekeh.)
- Category: salad, side dish
- Cuisine: mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 4g includes 0g added sugars
- Sodium: 360mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg