Freekeh Salad with Watercress & Radish in Miso Dressing
Recipe
Unless you are Italian or were raised in the Middle East, there is a chance that you have never heard about Farro. Apparently it originated in the Fertile Crescent, where it has been found in the tombs of Egyptian kings and is said to have fed the Roman Legions.
I had my first sample at one of the healthy take away cafes in Soho, and have been a fan ever since. Saying that, it’s not that easy to find this grain, even in London. I eventually dragged myself over to Edgware Road and got it in one of the Arabic shops.
In this salad I combine the chewiness of farro with the crunchiness of radish and carrot, the peppery taste of watercress adding a little kick in the form of the miso dressing.
Equipment: large salad bowl, medium size saucepan
Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 15/40 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients
- 250g toasted cracked freekeh/farro or whole grain freekeh/farro
- 400g radish
- 2 medium size carrots
- 110g baby leaf watercress
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp. tahini
- 1 tbsp. miso
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
1. Rinse the farro in the colander and then place in a cooking pan. Cover with 600ml of water, bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes (if cooking cracked grain) or 40-45 minutes (if cooking whole grain).
2. Wash the radish and then chop off the tail and the leaves and then slice into thin circles.
3. Wash the carrots, peel if they are not organic, otherwise cut off the ends and chop into 1cm cubes.
4. In a large salad bowl stir together olive oil, miso and tahini; make sure there are no lumps left. Stir in the radish, carrots, watercress and the freekeh. Season with ground pepper. Let it sit for an hour or, if not possible, serve immediately.