Fresh Chick Pea Salad with Freekeh
1 cup fresh chick peas, shelled
1/3 cup freekeh
1 large tomato, diced
2 armenian cucumbers, slicedÂ
1 small bunch radish leaves (about 8-10 leaves), chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 small shallot, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon, freshly juiced (reserve 2 tbsp on side)
1 tbsp artichoke spinach pesto (or regular pesto)
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Sheep Milk Feta for sprinkling (optional)
Rinse the freekeh, then soak for an hour in filtered water with the 2 tbsp lemon juice. Drain and reserve.
Place all prepped ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add freekeh. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, pesto and salt until well blended. Â Drizzle over the salad and toss lightly. Top with sheep’s cheese if desired.
Fresh Chick Pea Salad with Freekeh
It’s a delight when I find foods at the market that remind me of childhood. Â Fresh chick peas were a favorite snack growing up. Â My grandparents had heaps of these bushy plants growing around the house. Â We would pile them up and gather all the cousins and friends around, and spend the afternoon snacking. Â Oftentimes, my uncle would roast them over the fire and they were delicious that way too.
I put together this fresh chick pea salad for a friend the other day, using some soaked Freekeh (roasted green wheat)Â and freshly cut radish greens that another friend grows in her garden. Â It’s light and quick and I think you’ll love it.