Food

Freekeh Salad with Beans, Almonds, and Feta

Freekeh Salad

Freekeh Salad

Photo Credit: Amy Traverso

An easy salad that makes delicious use of an ancient grain.

Want more? Check out the blog post that goes along with this recipe.

Yield

8-10 servings

Total Time

55 minutes minutes

Hands-on Time

40 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 2 cups freekeh
  • 1 1/2 cups shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
  • 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 large shallots, minced
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
  • 6 to 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
  • Small bunch mint leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions

Put water, 1 tablespoons salt, and cinnamon stick in a 3- to 4-quart pot of water and bring to a boil. Add freekeh, stir, then cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until grains are firm-tender and water is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. In the last few minutes of cooking, add edamame and currants (or raisins) and stir. Discard cinnamon stick. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, minced shallots, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk in oil.

Transfer freekeh mixture to a serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Stir in the almonds and feta and sprinkle generously with the mint and lightly toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Amy Traverso

Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee and cohost of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with GBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.

More by Amy Traverso

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