Bored of your usual go-to salad? Kimberly Parson’s Pistachio & Freekeh Tabbouleh with Blackberries & Halloumi Crumb recipe from her book, The Yoga Kitchen Plan, will shake up your meals and put your old salad recipes to shame! 

Cracked freekeh is harvested when the grain is still young and green, before the gluten-containing outer casing of the wheat grain forms, so it is a gluten-free form of wheat. In this salad, I have added the cracked freekeh to broccoli rice, along with traditional tabbouleh herbs to create a more interesting tabbouleh base. Because the third-eye chakra is so connected to your brain’s performance, I have offered omega-rich oils such as flaxseed, hemp and avocado as options other than olive oil to dress the tabbouleh. For a dose of predominantly omega-3s choose flaxseed; for a perfect ratio of omega 3,6 and 9 choose hemp, and for a dose of predominantly omega -9s choose avocado oil. 

INGREDIENTS – serves 2

For the pistachio & freekeh tabbouleh

80g (2¾oz/¹⁄³ cup) cracked freekeh

½ head broccoli, chopped into florets

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

30g (1oz/scant ¼ cup) raw pistachios, roughly chopped

3 mint sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped

6 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped

80g (2¾oz/1 cup) sugar snap peas, blanched and halved

200g (7oz) halloumi cheese

sea salt and cracked black pepper

To serve

100g (3½oz/¾ cup) fresh blackberries, half chopped in half

flaxseed, hemp, avocado or olive oil, to drizzle (optional)

METHOD

Put the freekeh in a medium saucepan with 250ml (9fl oz/1 cup) water and place over a high heat. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat and place a clean tea towel over the saucepan, then, using the saucepan lid, try to create a seal so no steam is able to escape. Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place the broccoli florets in a food processor and blend until you have small grains. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the apple cider vinegar, honey and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Add the pistachios, mint, parsley, sugar snap peas and dressing to the broccoli grains. Add the cooled freekeh and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired.

Place a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Crumble the halloumi into the pan and gently cook until golden. This will only take a few minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

To assemble, divide the freekeh tabbouleh between 2 plates and scatter with blackberries and the grilled halloumi crumbs. Drizzle with some extra oil of choice, if desired, and enjoy.

The Yoga Kitchen Plan by Kimberly Parsons (Quadrille, £20) Photography © Laura Edwards

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