Herby freekeh salad with grilled aubergine and courgette
By OcadoLife
Published on 21 April 2022
A Middle-Eastern favourite, freekeh is roasted young green
wheat with a lovely nutty flavour.Time and servings
35 minsTotal time
6Servings
35 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 1 drizzle of vegetable oil
- 1 large of aubergine, cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp of olive oil, plus another 2 tbsp for the dressing
- 10 g of dill, finely chopped
- 10 g of coriander, finely chopped
- 10 g of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 60 g of walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 4 banana shallots, sliced into thin rings (for the topping)
- 2 tbsp of tahini, for the dressing
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 200 g of wholegrain freekeh
- 1 large of courgette, cut into chunks
- 1 lemon, juiced (for the dressing)
Method
Step 1
Place the freekeh and 1.5L of water into a large saucepan and place over a medium heat. Once simmering, cook for 25-30 mins, or until al dente. Drain and allow to steam in a colander once cooked.Step 2
Meanwhile, place the aubergine and courgette chunks into a large mixing bowl with the olive oil and toss to coat. Thread them onto some metal skewers and place directly over the coals on a hot BBQ. Cook for 2 mins, then turn and repeat until they are beautifully golden and just cooked through. This should take around 8-10 mins in total. Once done, remove and carefully slide the veg off the hot skewers into a mixing bowl.Step 3
Transfer the cooked freekeh into the bowl too, and add the chopped herbs and walnuts, season and mix well.Step 4
Use your fingers to separate the banana shallot slices into rings and heat enough oil to coat the bottom of a frying pan to a round 1cm depth. Add the shallots and fry over a medium heat for around 8-10 mins, stirring occasionally so they cook evenly. Once they are a beautiful deep golden-brown colour, use a slotted metal spoon to lift them out onto some kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little pinch of salt.Step 5
Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl plus 3 tbsp water and season with fresh black pepper. If you like your dressing a little thinner, then add a few more drops of water.Step 6
Tip the freekeh salad out onto a serving plate and drizzle over a little of the dressing. Top with the crispy shallots and a few more herb leaves. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.