Freekeh Salad with Caramelized Cauliflower and Tuna

This Freekeh Salad with Caramelized Cauliflower and Tuna is surprisingly simple, and its bright and flavorful flavors make it an ideal addition to any family’s weeknight dinner rotation.

If cooking freekeh, millet, farro, bulgur, quinoa, or other ancient grains sounds difficult or too time consuming, then you’ll definitely want to try your hand at this recipe, created by Maria Speck, author of Simply Ancient Grains. In her book, Maria provides a primer on preparing these nourishing whole grains and turning them into mouth-watering (and I mean it!) breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts for your family.

[Tweet “Freekeh Salad w/ Caramelized Cauliflower and Tuna by @MariaSpeck#SimplyAncientGrains”]

Last week, fellow dietitian, Janice Bissex and I hosted a potluck lunch to celebrate the release of Simply Ancient Grains. Maria was the star guest, and a group of fellow foodies and nutrition bloggers from Oldways and Juggling with Julia joined the fun.

Cooking with friends; trying new recipes; learning new techniques. What more could two foodie dietitians ask for?!

{From left: Kyle, Julia, Rachel, Liz, Sara, Maria}

Maria prepared her recipe for Simple Maple Pudding with Farro Piccolo while everyone else chose a recipe from the book and brought it along for the lunch.

Read on for the freekeh salad recipe and links to recipes for Oatmeal Butternut Pancakes with Browned Buttered Nuts, Bulgur with Chard and Saffron-Infused Yogurt, and Lemony Millet Pudding with Caramelized Grapes. {Image: Sara Baer-Sinnot from Oldways and Julia from Juggling with Julia cooking butternut squash pancakes.}

4.3 from 4 reviews

Freekeh Salad with Caramelized Cauliflower and Tuna

 

Author: Liz

Recipe type: Grain Salad

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Freekeh is a Middle Eastern wheat grain that's harvested early in its green stage. It has a chewy texture and a rich, smoky flavor. Reprinted with permission from Simply Ancient Grains by Maria Speck, copyright (c) 2015.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cracked freekeh or about 3 cups cooked
• 3 whole peppercorns (optional)
• 6 cups cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces (from one 2-pound head)
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 green onions, white and light green parts chopped (about ¾ cup), dark tops finely chopped (about ½ cup) and reserved for finishing
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more for serving
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• ½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives (about 13) or other good quality mixed olives
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 to 4 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
• 2 (5-ounce) cans tuna, preferably in olive oil, drained and separated into chunks

Instructions

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
2. To prepare the freekeh, add the broth, water, freekeh, and peppercorns to a heavy 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the freekeh is tender with a bit of chewiness, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain, return the grains to the pot, cover, and allow to steam for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving bowl and spread to cool.
3. Meanwhile, to make the salad, add the cauliflower florets to a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper and toss to coat well with your hands. Roast for 12 minutes, then add the chopped green onions (white and light green parts) and turn with a spatula. Continue roasting until the cauliflower is soft (the tip of a knife should slide in easily) and the green onions start to caramelize, 11 to 15 minutes more.
4. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the dressing: add the lemon juice, the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, the mustard, zest, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper to a small lidded jar and shake vigorously until emulsified.
5. To finish, add the roasted vegetables, the reserved green onion tops, the olives, and capers to the bowl with the freekeh. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley for garnish and add the remaining parsley to the bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you have time, allow to sit for 10 minutes for flavors to mingle.
6. Top the salad with the tuna and garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve, passing more lemon juice around.

Notes

In the cookbook, each recipe comes complete with "fine points," which outline cooking tips and substitution suggestions. For example, with this recipe, Maria says that if you can't find freekeh at the market, use 3 cups of cooked medium-coarse bulgur instead.

3.5.3226

Sweet and savory and topped with goat cheese, Juggling with Julia cooked up a big stack of Maria’s Oatmeal Butternut Pancakes with Browned Buttered Nuts (and goat cheese). All of us agreed that the flavors worked beautifully. (Maria called for over a teaspoon of nutmeg which gave the pancakes quite a flavor pop.)

Sara from Oldways brought this recipe for Bulgur with Chard and Saffron-Infused Yogurt, but she used millet instead, making this recipe gluten free.

Rachel Greenstein, Communications Manager from Oldways, made this GORGEOUS dessert recipe for Lemony Millet Pudding with Caramelized Grapes. She used bulgur instead of millet and the results were still spectacular. We loved every bite!

Here are a few more photos from our #SimplyAncientGrains potluck lunch.

Freekeh salad deconstructed 🙂

Sara playing with food photography.

Maria imparting her kitchen wisdom!