Kale, Radicchio and Freekeh Salad Buddha Bowl
Freekeh is an earthy grain with a complex flavor which you should try! And this vegan freekeh salad buddha bowl with baby kale, radicchio, avocado, and mint is great way to add some freekeh to your diet.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
Freekeh
- 1 cup cracked freekeh
- 2 1/2 cups water or stock
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, if needed
Kale and Radicchio Salad
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1/2 head radicchio, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cups chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
- 12 dried apricots, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Lemon Sumac Dressing
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp sumac
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Freekeh
- In a medium pot mix together the freekeh and water or stock. Add the salt if you used water or unsalted stock. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook until the freekeh is tender and the water is absorbed, 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Once the freekeh is cooked, transfer the freekeh to a bowl and let cool a few minutes until it's just warm. If the freekeh is a little wet and there is some water which wasn't absorbed, you can either let the freekeh drain in a fine mesh strainer or line the bowl with a couple of paper towels before you put the freekeh in the bowl.
Kale and Radicchio Salad
- Mix together the kale and radicchio in a bowl.
- Prepare and set out the parsley, mint, apricots, walnuts, avocados, and red onion.
Lemon Sumac Dressing
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
Assemble the Salad
- Pour half the dressing into the still warm freekeh and toss to combine. Then pour the other half onto the kale and radicchio and toss.
- For each bowl add a portion of freekeh to the bottom. Then add some of the kale and radicchio. And then top with some of each of the other ingredients - parsley, mint, apricots, walnuts, avocados, and red onion.
Notes
- Buying sumac: You can find sumac at some supermarkets (I find it in about half the markets around here), specialty markets focusing on Middle Eastern foods, and from Amazon.
- Sumac substitutes: Sumac is a main ingredient in za'atar along with thyme and sesame seeds - if you have some of that you can use za'atar in the dressing. Sumac has a citrus-y flavor so, alternatively, add 1 tsp lemon zest to the dressing.
- Buying freekeh/substitutes: Freekeh is also becoming more available. Many markets around here have specialty grain sections or of course you can find it on Amazon as well. If you can't find it and don't want to order it, bulgur makes a good substitute.
- Cooking freekeh: Consult your package for the exact amounts of water and time you will need to cook the freekeh. Also, you may need to adjust the temperature of the burner to keep it from boiling over during the covered cooking.
- Halloumi: The salad as written is vegan. For a non-vegan (but still vegetarian) option, add some fried halloumi to the top of the salad. To make fried halloumi heat a nonstick skillet, add sliced halloumi, and fry until crisp and browned. 1-2 ounces per serving works nicely.
- Toasting the nuts: Preheat oven to 350F. Spread out the nuts on a baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes.