Recipe and images by Amber Bremner
Freekeh is green wheat, harvested while the grains are soft and then sun dried. The chaff is burned off, leaving behind slightly smoky, roasted wheat. I love its chewy, substantial texture in salads – similar to using bulghur wheat but heartier. For this salad I’ve tossed it with luscious slow roasted tomatoes, chopped kale and a punchy Argentinian inspired chimichurri dressing. Use ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes of any variety, but keep an eye on them and adjust your roasting time up or down as needed. I used medium sized, fleshy Andiamo tomatoes.
Serves 4–6
Salad
500g (approx.) ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes
extra virgin olive oil
salt
1 cup freekeh (available from Vetro)
2 cups (approx.) chopped kale (tough stems removed first)
Chimichurri Dressing
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely grated
½ tsp salt
¼–½ tsp chilli flakes
good grind of black pepper
To serve
Optional – olives or capers
Slice tomatoes in half and remove any tough core, if needed. Arrange cut side up in a roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Slow roast at 130°C fan bake (or 150°C conventional oven) for around an hour to an hour and a half, until a bit caramelised around the edges and somewhat dried out (but still tender). (Reduce roasting time for smaller tomatoes and increase for larger tomatoes.) Set aside to cool, then cut into large chunks.
While the tomatoes are roasting, wash freekeh well in a sieve under cold running water. Boil freekeh in plenty of salted water for about 25 minutes, until tender but toothsome (a similar texture to cooked brown rice). Drain and set aside to cool. I prefer to let it steam dry as it cools, rather than cooling under cold water which can give a soggy result.
Mix dressing ingredients together and set aside until ready to assemble the salad.
Once the tomatoes and freekeh are cool enough not to wilt the kale, put them in a mixing bowl along with the kale and about half the dressing. Gently stir to combine (so you don’t destroy the tomatoes). Taste and add more dressing, to your liking. Chill until cold.
Serve with extra dressing on the side, and a scattering of olives or capers for a salty hit, if you like.
Leftover salad and dressing keep well for a few days in the fridge.
