Salads don’t have to be boring and plain all the time. The Cypriot Grain Salad has a lot of different flavours and textures that will make your mouth water. This recipe from the Mediterranean uses ancient grains, lentils, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, and is topped with a tangy yoghurt dressing. This salad is colourful, healthy, and is easily eaten as a snack or as the centrepiece of your meal. We’ll show you how to make this tasty and healthy dish through each step by step via this blog. We’ll also give you some tips on how to make it even better.
The Cypriot Grain Salad is Getting More Popular
Lots of individuals have loved the Cypriot Grain Salad since it first came out. George Calombaris made it famous at Hellenic Republic, since then people all over the world, from the nation of Greece to Hong Kong and beyond, appreciate it and see it printed on offerings in restaurants and coffee houses. It goes well with Greek or Middle Eastern food, or even as a light meal with grilled chicken or cooked low and slow meat. The regional flavours are bright and fresh.
This recipe isn’t just trendy; it’s also full of nutrients. It has freekeh, lentils, seeds, and dried fruits, all topped with a fresh, tangy yoghurt dressing.
What You’ll Need to Make the Cypriot Grain Salad
- To make this colourful, healthy salad, you will need the following:
- For the salad:
- 100g (1/2 cup) of freekeh (or cracked wheat)
- 100g (½ cup) Du Puy lentils (make sure to look for any stones)
- 4 tablespoons (50g) of sliced almonds (toasted)
- 50g (4 tbsp) of pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)
- Sunflower seeds that have been toasted (50g or 4 tbsp)
- ½ bunch of coriander, shredded (or 3 tablespoons of chopped)
- ½ bunch of Italian parsley, sliced (or 3 tbsp)
- 1 small red onion, cut into small pieces
- 4 tablespoon (50g) of currants
- 1 tablespoon of sliced baby capers
- ½ pomegranate, with the seeds taken out
- Lemon or lime juice from half a lemon or lime
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
For the Yoghurt Sauce:
- 1 cup of thick Greek yoghurt (or curd)
- ½ teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of honey
How to Make the Cypriot Grain Salad in Steps
Step 1: Prepare the Grains
- In 1½ cups of icy water, cook the freekeh and the lentil separately.
- The beans should cook for about 20 minutes, and the freekeh should cook for roughly twenty minutes (the freekeh may take a little longer).
- Check the grains to make sure they are soft after they are done cooking.
- Put in a colander for removal and let cool.
Step 2: Toast the seeds and nuts
- Put the sliced almonds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and seeds of sunflower in the oven and toast them lightly.
- Toast them until their skins turn golden brown, but don’t let them burn.
Step 3: Getting the Salad Base Ready
After the grains have cooled, mix them together in a big bowl with the following:
- Coriander
- Parsley
- Onion red
- Currants
- Capers
- Pomegranate
Add the salt, lemon or lime juice, and extra virgin olive oil as desired. Lightly mix everything together until all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
Step 4: Put in the nuts and seeds that have been toasted.
- After mixing, carefully add the roasted sunflower seeds, pepitas that, and celebrated almonds.
- Add the browned nuts and seeds shortly before providing to avoid making them crunchy if you are serving them later.
Step 5: Making the Dressing for the Yoghurt
- In a clean pan, gently toast the cumin seeds, then use a pestles and mortar for crushing them up.
- Add the honey and ground cumin to the Greek yoghurt and mix them together.
- Once everything is mixed together, pour the yoghurt dressing over the salad right before serving.
Step 6: Enjoy and serve
- Put the Cypriot Grain Salad on a serving dish and add the yoghurt dressing and pomegranate seeds on top.
How to Make the Best Cypriot Grain Salad
Get rid of extra water: It’s important to get rid of as much additional fluid as is possible after you go the freekeh and lentils. You can put a saucer on top of the colander to help keep the grains from floating and make sure they are fully drained.
If the grains are still wet, put them on a clean tea towel to dry them out. If the grains are too wet, the salad will be watery and won’t last long.
Crunchy Nuts: If you won’t be serving the salad right away, keep the toasted nuts separate until just before you do. This keeps them crunchy and stops them from getting soggy.
- You can change the ingredients based on what you have on hand:
- If you want a different texture, use quinoa or cracked wheat instead of freekeh.
- You can use chickpeas or edamame beans instead of lentils to mix things up.
Add the Making Right in-person Serving: If you’re making the salad at another the years, it’s best to add the dressing right before serving so that the herbs and grains stay fresh and flavorful.
The Cypriot Grain Salad is good for your health.
- This Cypriot Grain Salad is not only tasty, but it also has a lot of health benefits because it is full of nutrients.
- Freekeh is a good choice for digestive health and weight management because it is high in fibre, protein, and antioxidants.
- Lentils are a great source of iron, folate, and plant-based protein. They can help you feel more energetic and keep your heart healthy.
- Nuts and seeds are good for your brain and the muscles as they are full of beneficial fats, folic acid, and magnesium.
- Pomegranate is full of vitamin C and antioxidants, which are good for the skin alongside boost immunity.
- Greek yoghurt gives a creamy texture and an abundance of protein and probiotics, which are good for digestion.
