This Freekeh Salad is a delicious Mediterranean inspired grain salad recipe with fresh parsley, pomegranate and a creamy hummus base. The freekeh is nutty, chewy and the lentils are hidden in the mix – they add a slight earthy note and extra protein. The crunchy toasted pine nuts, fresh pops of juicy pomegranate and crisp red onions paired with the smooth hummus base make it the most satisfying combination of textures. It’s filling enough to be lunch on its own with lentils for added protein, or is also a delicious substantial side dish. For a salad, it holds up very well in the fridge for a few days. Serve it on a platter for hosting and it will be the hero dish of the table.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It eats like a meal, not a side. Freekeh is hearty and chewy, the lentils add protein and the hummus base turns it into something that actually fills you up.
- Fresh, Mediterranean flavor but easy to make. You get bright lemon, fresh herbs, sweet juicy pomegranate arils, a bit of earthiness from the lentils, and toasted nuts for contrast.
- The most satisfying combination of textures – chewy grains, soft lentils, toasted pine nuts, crisp onion, juicy pomegranate, and smooth hummus.
- It looks great on the table. The colours are strong and the hummus base gives it that restaurant-style finish that feels intentional and put-together.
- Works for meal prep or hosting. Because it’s dense rather than leafy, for a salad this recipe holds up extremely well in the fridge, so a great make-ahead option for meal prep. But it still looks so pretty plated up with the hummus base for guests.
- Nutritious and plant-based (without trying to be). This is a vegan recipe that just doesn’t need any substitutes and really lets the wholefood ingredients shine. It’s just grains, legumes, herbs, and a simple lemon dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a shopping list of everything you’ll need to make this Freekeh Salad. Check the recipe card below for exact measurements:
- Freekeh (or cracked wheat, or barley)
- Brown lentils
- Fresh parsley
- Red onion
- Pine nuts (or sub with slivered almonds)
- Pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries)
- Hummus
- Olive oil
- Lemon
- Garlic clove
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
Making Freekeh Salad is simple. Once you’ve prepped your ingredients (toasting nuts, de-seeding the pomegranate, cooking the freekeh), it’s really just a matter of throwing it all together! Here’s a quick guide or jump to the recipe card at the bottom to see the exact steps.
Step one: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper to create the vinaigrette.
Step two: In a large bowl, combine cooked freekeh, lentils, chopped parsley, red onion, toasted pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds.
Step three: Pour the vinaigrette over the grain mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Step four: Spread a layer of hummus across your serving plate.
Step five: Spoon the dressed freekeh salad over the hummus.
Substitutions & Variations
Want to mix things up? Here are some go-to swaps and tweaks you can try:
- Freekeh is an ancient grain, and can be hard to come by depending on where you are in the world. Where I live in Australia, it’s available at the major supermarkets. If you’ve never tried it before, it’s got a slightly nutty, earthy flavor and distinctly chewy, dense texture which makes it perfect for grain salads. The closest substitute is pearl barley, or farro. Now, I haven’t tested it yet, but I also think this recipe would also be delicious with pearl couscous. I use it in my Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad and Harissa Roasted Carrot Salad which have some similar ingredients and it works so well. Just make sure to use pearl couscous – the regular kind is too small and sandy, not the right texture for this salad.
- Lentils go really well in this salad because they are so small so they go unnoticed in the mix with the freekeh. They add a nice earthy flavor too, but if you don’t have any, then you could experiment with canned chickpeas instead. I haven’t tried it myself, but I think it would still be tasty, but the flavor will be a bit different. They could be swapped for chickpeas in a pinch
- Now this is not necessary flavor-wise, but if you want to make it look even prettier, you could crumble some plant-based feta over the top to garnish. Try my Tofu Feta for an easy option that’s cheaper than storebough and high in protein.
Storage
Leftovers can be stores in the fridge for 3-4 days. The salad will keep better if it is kept separate from the hummus, so if you’re making it for meal prep I recommend keeping them in separate containers.
If you’re hosting, you can prep the dressing and all the ingredients ahead of time and keep them in separate containers in the fridge overnight. Toss them together when you are ready to serve so the textures stay crisp and don’t soften. If the freekeh ever seems a tad dry, a light drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of fresh lemon will refresh it.
Expert Tips
You can use cracked freekeh or whole freekeh for this recipe. Whole freekeh takes an hour to cook. It must be cooled completely before making the salad, otherwise the other ingredients will soften and you’ll lose the wonderful crisp textures. See recipe notes for instructions on how to cook freekeh.
Also, don’t skip toasting the pine nuts! The extra crunch and toasted flavor really takes the salad to the next level. Don’t walk away from the pan while you are toasting them as they burn easily. Keep stirring regularly until they have golden highlights.
FAQ
No, freekeh is a wheat grain, so it’s not gluten-free. Swap in cooked quinoa, or brown rice if you need a gluten-free option.
You could add extra lentils, a sprinkle of hemp seeds, or make a batch of my easy Marinated Tofu Feta and mix it through.
Freekeh is a young green wheat that’s harvested early, then fire-roasted and dried. The grains have a nutty taste and a firm, chewy texture that holds up well in salads, soups, and warm bowls. It comes in two forms: whole, which takes longer to cook, and cracked, which is broken into smaller pieces and cooks faster. Both work the same way once cooked – hearty, flavourful, and great at soaking up dressings.
Serving Suggestions and More Recipes
This Freekeh Salad would be the perfect hearty side dish at a BBQ, pot-luck or even for the holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas (just use dried cranberries if pomegranate is out of season). It’s nutritious, filling and keeps well for about 4 days – so a great option for lunch meal prep too.
If you’re looking for more entertaining-style salads, you have to try my Jerusalem Salad which is just as pretty but lighter than Freekeh Salad. For something just as dense and filling, try my Brown Rice Salad with soy-garlic dressing. Granted, it’s a different flavor profile but similar textures with toasted nuts and seeds, and is one of the most popular recipes on my blog for a reason. I guarantee if you serve it to guests, everybody will be asking for the recipe. For something lighter but visually stunning (I’m thinking tablescapes here) my Heirloom Tomato Salad is perfect. It’s fresh, virtually no prep required and the yin to the Freekeh Salad’s yang – they’d be the perfect pair of salads for a dinner party.
For meal-prep friendly salads, I’d recommend my Chickpea, Cauliflower & Tabbouleh Nourish Bowl or my Raw Broccoli Quinoa Salad (very healthy and holds up well in the fridge). My vegan version of the viral Jennifer Aniston Salad is a fun TikTok inspired recipe that is actually balanced, healthy and delicious.
Let me know what you think of your Freekeh Salad in the comments section below or tag me on Instagram (I am @glowdiaries___) so I can re-post to stories and give you a shout out 🙂
Freekeh Salad with Lentils
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked freekeh (about 2/3 cup dry before cooking)
- 14 oz can brown lentils (400g can) drained and rinsed (drained weight lands around 1 cup / ~240 g)
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or sub slivered almonds
- ¾ cup pomegranate seeds or sub dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup hummus (200g)
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 whole lemon
- 1 small garlic clove minced (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: cook the freekeh first and allow it to cool completely (see recipe notes). Rinse and drain the lentils, chop the red onion and parsley, toast the pine nuts (see recipe notes), de-seed the pomegranate, and juice the lemon.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic (if using), salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine freekeh, lentils, parsley, onion, almonds, pomegranate seeds, and vinaigrette. Toss well to coat.
- Spread hummus over the base of serving plates. Spoon the grain salad over the hummus and serve.
Notes
- Whole freekeh: Cook ⅔ cup dry in 3⅓ cups water by bringing it to a boil, then covering and simmering for about an hour until it’s tender with a bit of chew. Strain off any extra liquid.
- Cracked freekeh: Cook ⅔ cup dry in 1⅓ cups water or stock by bringing it to a boil, then covering and simmering for about 15–20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Both methods will give you the 2 cups cooked needed.
Linda says
My family loved this salad.. very filling. Pomegranates were delicious
Ron says
made this yesterday night for my wife and she love it so much. it’s colourful, tasty and filling