Give a tasty new grain a try with this Healthy Greek Freekeh Salad recipe! This uber easy salad is a total breeze to make and is ready to rock your side dish game with some serious whole grain power.
I’ve been riding the quinoa train around here hardcore lately, but decided to mix up my go-to Greek Quinoa Bowl recipe a bit with a sassy new dressing and a whole lotta freekeh! The grain swap was glorious and perfect vessel for the bevvy of veggies I loaded it up with.
wait… what is freekeh?
Pronounced free-kah, freekeh channels the chewiness of brown rice, the lightness of bulgur, and a smoky nuttiness that might make you reconsider the quinoa or rice next time you whip up a bowl full of grains and veggies. It’s light enough to shine as side dish or lunchtime fare but hearty enough that you won’t be clamoring for something else to eat 30 minutes later. I love it!
Cracked freekeh is the most common and toastier than it’s whole counterpart, but both are equally delicious. Cracked freekeh comes in a few different forms and cooks much quicker. SOLD!
Also? It’s a nutrient powerhouse! Each serving boasts 6 grams of fiber and protein respectively, and is high in calcium, iron, and zinc. Yes please!
Now you can absolutely positively use quinoa for this recipe if you don’t feel like rushing to the store to snag some freekeh or aren’t quite ready to make the leap yet oooooor if you’re gluten-free, in which case you’ll want to keep clutching the quinoa and rice, since freekeh is made from wheat.
What are you waiting for? Let’s get our freekeh on!
Healthy Greek Freekeh Salad
Healthy Greek Freekeh Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup cracked freekeh
- 2.5 cups water
- ½ English cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4-1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
- black olives
- fresh tomatoes
- extra veggies
GREEK DRESSING:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 TBSP dijon mustard
- ½ tsp dried parsley or 1 tsp fresh
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- ⅛ tsp salt
- black pepper optional + to taste
Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add freekeh and toast (stirring the grain while you toast) until nutty and fragrant, approx. 2 -3 minutes.
- Add 2 cups water and salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and uncover, allowing the freekeh to soak up any remaining liquid for 5-10 minutes.
- While your freekeh cooks, chop your veggies and whisk together your dressing.
- In a large bowl, combine freekeh, crumbled feta, and veggies, then pour your dressing over the salad and toss to mix.
- Top with any additional feta desired, fresh parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve right away or let sit for up to 1 hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
special diets and swaps
- VEGAN: Skip the feta and you’re all set!
- T-REX: Feel free to add shredded/sliced/chopped grilled, baked, or even rotisserie chicken to the mix if you’d like! Poultry and freekeh go great together!
how to cook freekeh
- If you can cook rice, oats, or quinoa, you can totally cook freekeh — it’s that easy! Some boiling water and a timer and you’re good to go.
- I love toasting my freekeh before adding the water. The 2-3 extra minutes it takes is well worth the nutty, fragrant aroma that it gives the whole grain.
- Sometimes there’s a little leftover liquid in the pan after your freekeh is hot, fluffy, and ready to go. Fret not, simply drain the extra water and carry on.
- Serve it warm from the pot or let it cool, it’s great both ways and pairs great with red meat, pork, and poultry for the carnivores and ALLTHEVEGGIES for my vegetarians and vegans out there.
Ready to dive in? Go for it! I hope you ADORE this healthy greek freekeh salad recipe and start your own foodie love affair with this tasty whole grain!
Does The name Freekah sond Greek to you. It’s Arabic.
Hi Darryl. The dressing, flavors, and combination of ingredients added to the Freekeh are Greek-inspired to create a fusion of cuisines, hence the choice of title. I did not mean to imply otherwise, xo. It’s kind of like how tortellini are Italian but a Greek salad “spin” can be added them as well to play around with flavors.
It is my understanding that freekeh is already ‘toasted’ as part of the process after harvesting and before packaging. Is there really any necessity to toast again before cooking in this recipe?
Hey Eugenie – You can totally skip the step! I like to toast my quinoa before cooking so I kept the technique going here. xo
I love freekeh and am crazy about it in this salad! This is an ideal lunch for me, I make it up and enjoy if for lunch during the week.
Loooove how good the leftovers are all week long! Thank you Joanie!
We love freekeh in our house too! Although we haven’t had it nearly as much as we ought to, and you just gave me the inspiration to try it again. 🙂 This salad looks super delicious!
Thank you Dini! For sure dive back in!
Wow, I’d never heard of Freekeh before so I must try this and have included it in my post on No Sandwich Packed lunch ideas. Thanks for sending the link through.
Never heard of Freekeh before. Making this salad !! So Healthy too !!
I love ALL grains but I’ve never heard of freekeh, it’ll have to go on my shopping list this week!
This salad looks delicious!
Thanks Holly! Hope you loooove it! <3
Let’s get our freekeh on. 🙂
Haha how did I know you’d say that 😉 Make this right meow!