FREEKEH FRIDAY Salad or Side Dish?

Once I discovered the benefits of freekeh, I couldn't stop. It's incredibly versatile and full of fiber and nutrients. It's a wonderful base for just about anything. So far, in our Freekeh Friday recipe series, we've had freekeh-pumpkin pancakes, freekeh-pumpkin soup laced with high-quality maple syrup. Today I'm sharing a freekeh salad that is so good, you'll want to make it for your Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, it's a salad, but it's also a wonderful side dish, sitting in for green bean casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, rice and even a sweet potato casserole. Here's the recipe in printable format.

Freekeh Brussels Sprouts Salad (or side dish)

I say this with so many of my recipes--it's incredibly easy to prepare. Friends tease me, saying, "It's easy for you!" Let's just pretend, though. Let's get all of our ingredients measured and chopped. Let's cook the freekeh the night before. Let's assemble everything in no time, and let's have it ready to serve on our Thanksgiving Day table three days ahead of time. Is that not easy?

Freekeh Brussels Sprout Salad has a multitude of nutritious ingredients: freekeh, roasted Brussels sprouts, red onion, parsley, mint, toasted walnuts, extra-virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses and more. You can serve it cold, at room temperature (my favorite) or hot (if you assemble everything just before serving). This recipe yields enough servings to feed a large group. Remember, it's a side dish, so people will take a large spoonful only, although they will come back for more!

Versatility is the middle name. While it's more than enough on its own, this can be served as part of a grain bowl (I call it a groan bowl) with cubed sweet potatoes and beets. More fiber. More nutrition. You can split a baked sweet potato and top it with a generous amount of this gorgeous mix or roast big, thick slices of pumpkin or butternut squash and smother them with the salad. For vegans, this is perfect! If you're a vegetarian or omnivore, you can also serve it as a complete meal by adding crumbled Feta cheese, goat cheese, gorgonzola or queso fresco. Get a big bowl of that, and get ready to sit on your sofa and watch Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy or your favorite Halloween thriller! 

Where do I buy freekeh? Well, in South Carolina, I get mine from Marsh Hen Mill, or locally, where I live, from Fenway's FARMacy, where they carry most of Marsh Hen Mill's products and I can also get an assortment of seasonal produce from area farms.

Pomegranate molasses? Yes, incredibly tangy and delicious in a salad. If you don't have a local source, this is one option. I use it in this recipe because it balances everything, and you can also use it in my muhammara sauce. Once you've made this freekeh recipe and my roasted cauliflower with muhammara, you'll order a second bottle.