While I’m back to eating meat (I gave it up for Lent) and have been for some time, I still enjoy the occasional meatless meal. I’d been dying to try freekeh for a while now – after hearing it dubbed the “new quinoa” I knew that I had to give it a try.

What is freekeh? According to Wikipedia, freekeh “is a cereal food made from green wheat that goes through a roasting process in its production.” Freekeh Foods says, “Freekeh is a healthy alternative to rice because it has up to 3 times the protein as even brown rice! Freekeh is a roasted ancient grain that is equal to quinoa in protein and fiber … Freekeh has 6 g protein and 4 g fiber per serving.”

Anyway, enough about the health aspects of freekeh. You get it – it’s healthy. Now, how does it taste?

It reminded me more of rice than quinoa from the texture and flavor. It wasn’t nutty like some quinoas can be and it had a similar soft texture to rice. And it was just as easy to prepare! The fine folks at Freekeh Foods sent me three packages of Freekeh (original, rosemary sage, tamari) along with a bunch of recipe cards with recipes from freekeh breakfast cereal to freekeh chili. I can’t wait to try all the recipes out. But in the meantime, let me share some recipes I came up with, based on what I had on hand. First, Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese:

Freekeh Salad with Chickpeas and Goat Cheese

Here’s what you need:

• 1 c. dry freekeh (I used Freekeh Foods original)
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or diced
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1/4 c. goat cheese
• 1/4 c. toasted pine nuts

Here’s what you do:

1. Prepare freekeh according to package directions (my freekeh said to add to 2 1/2 c water, boil, then simmer for 20ish minutes).
2. While freekeh is cooking, heat 1-2 TBS olive oil on a pan over medium low heat. Add chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add in garlic. Cook onion and garlic for 5 or so more minutes, until onion is translucent and soft.
3. Remove onion and garlic from heat but keep in pan. Add chickpeas and toss to mix well.
4. When freekeh is done cooking, drain well. Add to onion/garlic/chickpea mixture. Toss so the olive oil and garlic fully incorporate with the freekeh. Pour mixture into a bowl.
5. Just before serving, toss with pine nuts and goat cheese. Enjoy!

Makes: 2-3 side dishes or 1-2 vegetarian main meals

Some questions for you:

• Have you tried freekeh before?
• What’s your favorite meatless meal?
• What other freekeh recipes should I try?

Disclosure: Freekeh Foods sent me three packages of Freekeh to try out. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions/thoughts/photos/other randomness are my own. And I can’t wait to try out my next package and share the info with you!

Looking for some more Meatless Monday, vegetarian recipes? Here are a few of my favorites: