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vegan salad

Freekeh Medjool Date Salad

5 from 2 votes
Delight Your Palate with a Vegan Middle Eastern Salad. Roasted cauliflower and perfectly cooked freekeh combine with peppery arugula, all dressed in a zesty chia seed–preserved lemon dressing. Topped with a sweet and savory date and sun-dried tomato salsa, and garnished with pine nuts, this salad is a harmonious blend of textures and tastes that's anything but boring.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Author: Noha Elbadry - Cloud
Servings: 3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 3 cups 100 g cauliflower florets
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml olive oil
  • ½ tsp 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
  • cup 60 g jarred sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (a little oil is fine)
  • 1 small shallot - chopped
  • ¼ cup 15 g chopped fresh parsley
  • 6 medium green olives - pitted and chopped
  • 1 small serrano pepper - chopped (optional)
  • 3 tbsp 45 ml lime juice
  • ½ tsp sea salt

For the Dressing

  • ¼ cup 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 preserved lemon - seeded and halved
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml preserved lemon brine
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp 15 ml maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp 2 g fresh thyme leaves (or sub 1 tsp dried thyme)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp 10 g chia seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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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