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| Freekeh with Thyme-Roasted Grapes, Chickpeas, and Spinach |
Grain salads like these make packing lunch at least a little bit more enjoyable. Not only does
it cut my lunch packing time down by a few…well, seconds…but it’s far more
exciting than a lot of the lunches I pack! The nice thing about this salad is
that you can use any grain. I had freekeh on hand, but quinoa (not a grain but close enough), wheat berries,
brown rice, or anything else similar would work.
I usually ate this salad cold, but probably preferred it
warm, so you may want to experiment with reheating. The roasted chickpeas were
my addition from the original recipe and one I recommend you include,
especially if you’re eating for lunch and not as a side dish!
Any other lunch packing haters out there??
Freekeh with Thyme-Roasted Grapes, Chickpeas, and Spinach
adapted from Women's Day Magazine
Ingredients:
-1 cup freekeh (measured pre-cooking), cooked according to package instructions
-1 lb seedless red grapes
-6 sprigs fresh thyme, broken into smaller pieces
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-pinch cayenne pepper
-pinch sea salt
-kosher salt & pepper
-3-4 cups spinach
Directions:
1. Cook freekeh or other grain according to package instructions. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. On one, toss the grapes, thyme, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. On the other, toss the chickpeas, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and a pinch of salt.
3. Roast both baking sheets for 25-35 minutes, until the grapes begin to burst and the chickpeas begin to brown and harden. Scatter the spinach over the grapes and roast for an additional 2 minutes, gently tossing until spinach begins to wilt.
4. Fold the grapes, spinach, and chickpeas into the cooked freekeh.
