Freekeh Salad with Roasted Carrots, Pomegranate and Tahini

Name: Freekeh Salad with Roasted Carrots, Pomegranate and Tahini
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) medium carrots, scrubbed or peeled, cut on a diagonal into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground coriander; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt; 1½ cups (270 g) cracked freekeh, rinsed in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear; 3 cups (710 ml) water; ¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt; ⅓ cup (80 g) tahini, well stirred; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1½ lemons; 1 clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; 4 tablespoons (60 ml) cold water, plus more as needed; 1 teaspoon (7 g) maple syrup or honey; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 cup (40 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped, loosely packed; 3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced; ¾ cup (115 g) pomegranate seeds, from 1 medium pomegranate; ¼ cup (30 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped (optional); freshly ground black pepper, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Nutty, lightly smoky cracked freekeh is tossed with caramelized roasted carrots, fresh parsley and jewel-like pomegranate seeds, then finished with a lemony tahini dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 18 min
Total: 1 hr 18 min
Makes: About 6 cups (4 main-course or 6 side servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the roasted carrots
1½ lb (680 g) medium carrots, scrubbed or peeled, cut on a diagonal into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground coriander
½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
For the freekeh
1½ cups (270 g) cracked freekeh, rinsed in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear
3 cups (710 ml) water
¾ teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt
For the tahini dressing
⅓ cup (80 g) tahini, well stirred
3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 1½ lemons
1 clove (3 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
4 tablespoons (60 ml) cold water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon (7 g) maple syrup or honey
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
To finish
1 cup (40 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped, loosely packed
3 whole (45 g) scallions, thinly sliced
¾ cup (115 g) pomegranate seeds, from 1 medium pomegranate
¼ cup (30 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment (6)

Large rimmed baking sheet, 18×13-inch (46×33 cm)
Medium saucepan with lid, 3-quart (3 L)
Fine-mesh sieve
Small bowl and whisk
Large mixing bowl
Chef's knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Make sure you have CRACKED freekeh (it cooks in about 20 minutes); whole-grain freekeh needs 40-50 minutes and more water.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the centre.
If using a whole pomegranate, seed it first (see tip), or buy ready-to-use seeds.
Stir the tahini jar well before measuring; the oil separates and the paste settles.
The freekeh simmers while the carrots roast, so the step times overlap in real life; the listed total is about 78 minutes.

1
Heat the ovenOven 425°F / 220°C
- Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- Place the large rimmed baking sheet inside to heat while you slice the carrots.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 425°F (220°C)
Tip: A hot pan helps the carrots brown instead of steam.
2
Season the carrots
- In the large mixing bowl, toss the carrot slices with the 3 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, coriander and ½ teaspoon salt until every slice is evenly coated.
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Ready when: Carrots look evenly glossy and speckled with spice
Tip: Cut slices a uniform thickness so they roast at the same rate.
3
Roast the carrotsOven 425°F / 220°C
- Carefully spread the carrots in a single layer on the hot baking sheet.
- Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 25–30 minutes, flipping them once at the 15-minute mark, until tender and browned at the edges.
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Ready when: A knife slides in easily and the edges are deep golden brown
Tip: Don't crowd the pan; use two sheets if the carrots overlap.
4
Simmer the freekeh
- Once the carrots are in the oven, combine the rinsed freekeh, 3 cups (710 ml) water and ¾ teaspoon salt in the saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover and simmer for 18–20 minutes.
- This runs alongside the roasting time, so no extra time is added.
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Ready when: Grains are tender but pleasantly chewy and the water is absorbed
Tip: If the grains are still hard and the pan is dry, add ¼ cup (60 ml) water and cook 3–5 minutes more.
5
Rest and fluff
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork, then spread the freekeh on a plate or in the large bowl for a few minutes to release steam.
- Make the dressing and prep the garnishes (next two steps) during this rest if you like.
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Ready when: Grains are separate, fluffy and no longer wet
Tip: Dressing hot grains can make them gummy, so let them cool until just warm.
6
Whisk the dressing
- In the small bowl, whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- It will seize and thicken at first.
- Whisk in the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth, pourable and creamy like heavy cream.
- Add more water by teaspoons if needed, then taste and adjust salt and lemon.
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Ready when: Dressing is smooth, pale and falls from the whisk in a ribbon
Tip: Don't panic when it thickens; the water loosens it again.
7
Prep the garnishes
- Chop the parsley, slice the scallions and roughly chop the pistachios, if using.
- Seed the pomegranate if you haven't already.
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Tip: To seed a pomegranate, halve it and tap the back of each half with a wooden spoon over a bowl so the seeds fall out.
8
Combine the salad
- Add the warm freekeh, roasted carrots, parsley and scallions to the large bowl.
- Drizzle with about half the dressing and toss gently.
- Season with black pepper and more salt if needed.
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Ready when: Grains and carrots are lightly coated and herbs are evenly distributed
Tip: Add the pomegranate at the end so the seeds don't burst or stain the grains.
9
Finish and serve
- Transfer to a serving platter.
- Scatter the pomegranate seeds and pistachios over the top and drizzle with some of the remaining dressing.
- Serve the rest at the table.
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Ready when: Salad is topped with bright red seeds and ribbons of dressing

Good to know

Tips

Rinse cracked freekeh well; it removes dust and bits of char and gives cleaner flavor.
Roast carrots until deeply browned at the edges for the best sweet-savory contrast.
Toss the freekeh with a spoonful of the dressing while still warm so it absorbs flavor, then add the rest later.
Freekeh is not gluten-free; it is young wheat.

Make ahead

Roast the carrots and cook the freekeh up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate separately. Make the dressing up to 4 days ahead. Assemble within an hour of serving, adding herbs, pomegranate and nuts last.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: store the dressed salad (without pomegranate and nuts) in an airtight container up to 4 days; leftover dressing keeps 4 days and thickens, so thin with water. Freezer: cooked plain freekeh freezes up to 3 months; the assembled salad does not freeze well. Serve cold or let sit 20 minutes at room temperature, or rewarm freekeh and carrots in a skillet with a splash of water before dressing.

Substitutions

cracked freekeh → Farro, bulgur or pearl barley. Bulgur (coarse) needs only about 12-15 minutes; barley and farro take 25-30 minutes. Adjust water to package directions.
pomegranate seeds → Dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots. Use ⅓ cup (50 g); you'll lose the juicy tartness, so add an extra squeeze of lemon.
shelled unsalted pistachios → Toasted slivered almonds or pepitas. Also a good option for nut allergies (pepitas).
maple syrup or honey → Honey or pomegranate molasses. Honey is not vegan; pomegranate molasses adds tang, so use ½ teaspoon.