Mediterranean Freekeh Salad

Once you try this Mediterranean Freekeh salad, you can expect an explosion of flavors and textures in your mouth. It is hearty, tangy, nutty, and so many more adjectives of umami. The pomegranate arils quite literally pop in your mouth, and the freekeh is al dente, adding a lovely texture besides the creamy avocado and feta. It all works so well together, and the best part is that it tastes better for days after.

What Freekeh is used in this Mediterranean Freekeh Salad?

If you didn’t know, freekeh is a common grain in Middle Eastern cooking. It is slightly smoky, earthy, and nutty. There is a fine and coarse variety. Fine would be used in dishes like freekeh soup, while coarse is used as a substitute for rice. In this recipe, we use coarse freekeh. As a Palestinian, I enjoy it often, especially in my chicken and freekeh recipe, which is fantastic for a quick weeknight meal. In this salad, it adds some body to elevate the dish to a meal. You can enjoy this vegetarian dish on its own, but if you add protein, then chicken, shrimp, or any seafood would pair well.

The best part about this salad is it’s really simple and nutritious. It is fail-proof. You can’t mess it up; a super flavorful bite is guaranteed. I love adding grains to my salad to make them heartier. If you haven’t tried my bulgur salad, that is a great option similar to this one. If you want to keep this gluten-free, substitute it with quinoa, which is a great alternative, as you can see in my quinoa greek salad.

As always, let me know what you think of the recipe down below in the comments! Share your remakes with me on my Instagram too! I would love to see it.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Mediterranean Freekeh Salad

This hearty and healthy Mediterranean salad has such a lovely combination of flavors and textures that you will not get enough of.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Arabic, Mediterranean

Keyword: arabic salad, freekeh, freekeh and pomegranate salad, freekeh recipes, freekeh salad, fufus kitchen freekeh, healthy salad recipe, mediterranean freekeh salad

Servings: 4

Author: Heifa

Ingredients

Freekeh

• 1 cup Freekeh, coarse
• 1.5 cups Vegetable broth
• 1 Bouillon cube or salt to taste

Salad

• 1 Tomato, chopped
• 1/2 Red onion, chopped
• 1 Colored Bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
• 1 Avocado, ripe, chopped
• 1/3 cup Parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup Kalamata olives, no pits
• 1/2 cup Pomegranate Arils
• 2 oz Feta cheese, chopped

Dressing

• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Spicy brown mustard any mustard but yellow would do good here
• 1 tbsp Apple cider Vinegar white or red vinegar work too
• 1 Fresh Lemon's Juice
• 2 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp Dried Mint
• 1 tbsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Pomegranate Molasses
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

• Cook the freekeh by combining it with the stock, salt, or bouillon. Bring to a light boil then simmer for 15-20 min until tender and the liquid has evaporated.
• In the meantime, chop the vegetables and combine them together in a bowl. Set to the side.
• Also, combine the dressing ingredients and stir them together very well. Set to the side.
• Once the freekeh is cooked, let it cool until warm and no longer hot. You can speed this process by placing it in the fridge if you are short on time.
• Once slightly cooled, toss in with the veggies and then coat with the dressing. Taste and see if any more salt is needed and enjoy!
• This keeps well in the fridge in a container for several days. It even tastes better after hours when all the flavors really marry.