This is a fresh and vibrant salad, perfect for picnics and easy dinners. The building blocks keep well on their own for up to five days in the fridge, but make sure to check out the rollover options at the end of the recipe if you want to follow my lead for stretching these building blocks to create more dishes. The Lemon-Maple Dressing is also delicious on fresh greens like arugula, sunflower sprouts and lettuces.
Freekeh and Fennel Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup / 175g freekeh replace with your favourite gluten-free grain if needed
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 ¾ cups / 425ml water
- 1 large fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 4 spring onions sliced
- ¼ cup / 15g lightly packed fresh dill sub with 1 Tbsp. dried
- 2 Tbsp. pine nuts
Lemon-Maple Dressing
- zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup / 60 ml fresh lemon juice, from approx. 2 lemons
- ¼ cup / 60ml cold-pressed olive oil
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
Directions
- Soak the freekeh for 8-12 hours (if possible). Drain and rinse well. Combine with the amount of water indicated if soaked; if not use 2 cups / 500ml. Add salt, bring to a boil, reduce to heat, and simmer for 20-30 minutes (if you soaked it will be closer to 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Let sit with the lid on for five minutes, then fluff with a fork and keep the lid off.
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Add the fennel to a large serving bowl, and pour about half of the dressing over, add the spring onion, and dill, fold too incorporate. Season to taste.
- pour the remanning dressing over the freekeh. Fold to combine, and add it to the fennel salad. Say thank you and enjoy.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for 5 days.
Notes
Serves 2
Rollover tips:
Divide the fennel salad in half (in step 4) and place one half in the fridge for tomorrow’s meal, or to make the Freekeh and Fennel Salad Remove 1 cup / 225g cooked freekeh from the pot (in step 1) and place in an airtight container in the freezer for later use.
Divide the fennel salad in half (in step 4) and place one half in the fridge for tomorrow’s meal, or to make the Freekeh and Fennel Salad Remove 1 cup / 225g cooked freekeh from the pot (in step 1) and place in an airtight container in the freezer for later use.
