Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn and Arugula

07.21.15
Hello! You've landed on an older recipe. Sometimes the older recipes aren't written as clearly as they should be or something might need to be clarified. If something seems confusing or a question arises, send me an email and I'll help!

Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn, Feta, and Arugula | http://naturallyella.com

Freekeh | http://naturallyella.com
Parsley Dressing | http://naturallyella.com

Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn and Arugula  | http://naturallyella.com

In the past few weeks, my lunch routine has revolved around salads of all kinds. It's usually a catch-all for whatever I have floating in the refrigerator. Leftover grilled vegetables, cheeses, cooked grains, and nuts are usually my go-to salad toppings. This freekeh salad is the culmination of weeks of salads.

For those unfamiliar with freekeh, it's a type of cracked wheat. Freekeh is picked while the wheat is still young and green, roasted, and then cracked into smaller pieces. This is simplifying the process quite a bit but this video is fun to watch to explain a bit more. The overall flavor is nutty but also has just a bit of smoked flavor thanks to the roasting process. If you're interested in trying this grain out, Bob's Red Mill carries it online.

This freekeh salad is really one of my favorites. The toasted flavor of the freekeh makes for a lovely companion with the fresh taste of sweet corn. I mention this in the comments of the recipe but I feel like it's worth mentioning here as well. I love arugula but it can easily overpower the flavor of this freekeh salad. If you aren't sure about arugula, use lettuce or spinach. Also, this dressing is a bit on the creamier side- adjust the liquids to your liking. Or if you don't want to use a blender and leave it as a vinaigrette, whisk the liquids together then stir in parsley that has been finely minced.

Print

Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn and Arugula

  • Author: Erin Alderson
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 3 to 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • Salad
  • 1/2 cup uncooked freekeh
  • 1 ear sweet corn
  • 1/4 white onion
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 to 4 handfuls baby arugula (see note)
  • 1/3 cup almond slices
  • 1 ounce feta
  • Dressing
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or regular balsamic vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. In a small pot, bring 1 1/4 cup of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Add the freekeh, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for about 20 minutes. Nearly all the water should be absorbed. Turn off heat and let sit while preparing the salad.
  2. Light grill or heat grill pan over medium-low heat. Remove husk and silk from the corn and cut onion into thin slices. Brush both with olive oil and grill until both are lightly charring. Remove from heat, dice onion, and remove kernels from corn cob.
  3. Toss cooked freekeh with arugula, diced onion, corn kernels, almond slices, and feta.
  4. To make dressing, combine ingredients in a blender and puree. Add more olive oil if dressing is too thick for your liking.

Notes

While I love arugula in this salad, the peppery taste may be too overwhelming for some. Try using other greens with a more low-key flavor profile, like spinach.

 

Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn, Almonds and Arugula

(Disclaimer: This post was in partnership with Bob's Red Mill. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

13 comments on “Freekeh Salad with Sweet Corn and Arugula”

  1. Yay! Beautiful grain salads like this are my favorite. The punch of arugula sounds like it would go so well with fresh sweet corn!

  2. Hi Erin! Grilling corn - I have to say that I grilled corn yesterday for Black Bean Tacos for the Grilled Zucchini summer variation in your cookbook. And those tacos were great! So much tastier than the tacos with seasoned ground beef that I grew up eating. The corn relish was excellent too. Every bean and kernel of corn was eaten, nothing was missed!

    I love the premise of the cookbook. I like to switch up recipes, especially as different fruits and vegetables come into season. I made the savory turnovers with the spicy rhubarb lentils and loved them. That got me thinking about other variations (like you gave me permission) and I made them again with caramelized onions and chard. So good with a simple green salad.

    And the enchilada recipe! It feels like with your help I have cracked the code on enchiladas. I've got the sauce, and the filling and the assembly down now, and I can have them whenever I want. Finally!

    I've tagged so many other recipes in your cookbook. Looking forward to more. Thanks!

  3. I can never have too many corn recipes and seeing that I've never cooked freekah before (I think I'd heard of it... Though I might be making that up) this is one I know I need to try.

hi. 

Welcome to my little internet nook. On this site you'll find over a thousand vegetarian recipes, pantry knowledge, and more. I'm ever obsessed with food from gardening, cooking, and preserving. I hope you'll find endless inspiration on these pages and visit often. 

Virtual hugs, Erin (aka: e.l.l.a.)
A NATURALLY NEWSLETTER

a few good grain recipes

Do away with ads, get access to the back issues of casual, be the first to know about upcoming events, and more.
become a member

beans. beans. beans.

Have a nerdy food question, need a recipe recommendation, or just want to share something exciting you've made?
magnifiercross linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram