There’s a new guy in town! That’s actually totally and completely, factually false. Freekeh is a very ancient grain, said have been cultivated a couple thousand years ago in the Middle East, but it is emerging on the whole grain scene as an even better option than quinoa…. say whaaaa???? Freekeh is so versatile, you’ll especially love it in this freekeh risotto.
First a little info about freekeh. I should mention first and foremost, that no, it is not a gluten free grain. So if you are someone who should not eat gluten, then stick with the quinoa, freekeh is not your friend!
Besides that, the nutritional facts on this little guy are pretty amazing. Just a half a cup provides EIGHT grams or protein… 8! It also provides your whole day’s requirement for iron and zinc and 70% of the recommended amount of manganese (which plays an important role in metabolizing a whole lot of nutrients in the body and ensures proper liver function). It’s full of fiber and carotenoids which are important for eye health and is considered a prebiotic (which are basically food for probiotics in the body, fueling the body for more healthy probiotics). The taste is deliciously nutty, often described as a cross between brown rice and barley.
So what so you do with it? Basically use it anywhere you would rice or quinoa! Toss it with stir fry, in breakfast grains, instead of or along with oatmeal, in pilafs, in salads, with soups, and of course risotto style like this freekeh risotto.
Here is what you need:
- freekeh
- vegetable broth
- garlic
- shallot
- frozen peas and carrots (or fresh, but frozen is easiest!)
- dry white wine or vermouth
- nutritional yeast
- lemon juice
- some dairy free butter
Some changes you might want to make to change things up:
- Something else I like to add to pretty much all of my grain dishes (I don’t have it in this recipe) is a green like spinach, which would be great here so feel free to add some to your recipe.
- Substitute the grain of your choice here if you can’t find freekeh or to spice things up.
- Change up the veggies for the peas and carrots (asparagus would be nice, as well as zucchini, green beans, a winter squash, or broccoli florets).
Risotto might sounds really intimidating to you right now, but I promise it’s not. It takes a little bit of attention, but super simple. The longest part of this dish is really just waiting for the freekeh to soak up the liquid, but you can easily multi task while it’s cooking. And when you’re done, you’ll feel super fancy 🙂