Freekeh-Medjool Date Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing
This salad combines everything I love about Middle Eastern and vegan cooking, and it is as far away from boring as it’s possible to get. It combines freekeh/freek, a whole grain made from unripe durum wheat, with perfectly roasted cauliflower, peppery arugula and a sweet and intensely savory date and sun-dried tomato salsa. The salad is drizzled with a chia seed–preserved lemon dressing that's equal parts sour, salty and crunchy. I used North African, Levantine and Arabian Peninsula ingredients here to show how homogeneous various Middle Eastern cuisines can be, and this salad has become a mainstay in my household ever since.
Yields3 to 4 servings
Dietary ConsiderationVegan
Ingredients
- For the Salad
- 3 cups (100 g) cauliflower florets
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup (165 g) coarse freekeh, rinsed
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
- 3 cups (60 g) arugula
- Pine nuts, to serve
For the Salsa- 5 jumbo Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/3 cup (60 g) jarred sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (a little oil is fine)
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh parsley
- 6 medium green olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 small serrano pepper, chopped (optional)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the Dressing- 1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 preserved lemon, seeded and halved
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) preserved lemon brine
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) fresh thyme leaves (or sub 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) chia seeds
INSTRUCTIONS:
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, olive oil and salt. Mix well and transfer it to the sheet pan. Roast, flipping once halfway through, until golden and crispy, about 25 minutes. Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and let the cauliflower cool to room temperature.
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In a medium pot, combine the freekeh, bouillon and 2¼ cups (540 ml) of water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until all or most of the water has been absorbed and freekeh has softened, 35 to 40 minutes. Drain any leftover water; the freekeh should be a bit chewy, similar to barley or brown rice. Remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
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To make the salsa, place the dates, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, parsley, olives, serrano pepper (if using), lime juice and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. Set it aside.
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To make the dressing, add the extra virgin olive oil, preserved lemon, lemon brine, lemon juice, maple syrup, thyme, black pepper and salt to a food processor. Pulse it until smooth and creamy. Transfer the dressing to a jar with an airtight lid and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days.
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Combine the cooked freekeh, roasted cauliflower and arugula in a large bowl along with half the dressing. Toss the ingredients to mix. Serve at room temperature topped with the salsa and a handful of pine nuts and with extra dressing on the side.
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