Gut Friendly Vegan Fresh Freekeh Cucumber Salad
Freekeh — a roasted green wheat with a subtly smoky, nutty flavor — is the kind of ancient grain that genuinely earns its place in a gut-friendly kitchen, thanks to its impressive fiber content that feeds beneficial bacteria and keeps digestion humming. Here it gets cooked until tender, then cooled and tossed with crisp English cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, and mint for a salad that feels light and vibrant without sacrificing any staying power. The dressing is a bright, simple blend of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and ground cumin — nothing processed, nothing hidden, just clean ingredients that let every component shine. Using only the green tops of scallions is a smart move for anyone keeping an eye on harder-to-digest allium compounds, and the abundance of fresh herbs adds both flavor and plant diversity to every forkful. Everything comes together at room temperature or lightly chilled, making it a genuinely easy dish to prep ahead and pull from the fridge when hunger strikes. A scatter of pomegranate seeds at the end adds a jewel-like pop of color and a little tartness that takes the whole bowl somewhere special. This is the kind of salad that makes eating well feel effortless rather than like a compromise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the freekeh
- 1 cup whole-grain freekeh, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- 1 english cucumber, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For serving
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the rinsed freekeh, water, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the freekeh is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 20–22 minutes.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and let the freekeh steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Spread it onto a large mixing bowl or sheet pan and let it cool for at least 10 minutes, until no longer steaming.
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