I bought some freekeh from the local bulk food store last week but didn’t quite know what to do with it.  After staring at it in my pantry for a week I decided to put this salad together.  The nutty flavour of the freekeh goes together really well with the smoky barbecue flavours and fresh parsley.  This salad can be eaten on its own or just as a side dish.

1 cup freekeh

2 ½ cups vegetable stock

1 eggplant

2 zucchinis

1 capsicum

1 corn on cob

2 onions

1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

½ cup parsley, roughly chopped

2 tbsp seed and nut mix (I use sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepita seeds and cashews)

 

Place freekeh and vegetable stock in a saucepan and cook using the absorption method, or cook in rice cooker.

Slice onions finely and cook in large fry pan over low heat with ½ tbsp. olive oil, for 10 minutes until the onions are soft, cooked and caramelised.  Once the onions are caramelised add ½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.

Meanwhile, slice eggplant, zucchinis and capsicum into long strips and cook on the barbecue along with the corn cob using about ½ tbsp. olive oil until soft and skin is slightly blackened and blistered.

Once cooked cut the barbequed vegetables into large bite sized pieces and cut the corn off the cob.

To make a dressing, whisk together the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then add most of the chopped parsley.  Leave a tablespoon for garnishing.

Lightly toast seed and nut mix in a dry pan over medium heat until the mix takes on a bit of colour.

Mix the cooked freekeh, barbecue vegetables together and add dressing.

Garnish with extra parsley and toasted seed and nut mix.

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