Freekeh Shake and Eat Bean Salad

I get so excited when I get my gift box from Freekeh!  This time my freekeh came with a mason jar with my name on it (love that) and wooden utensils in its own carry-on bag. 

So what the freak is Freekeh?

Freekeh is wheat that’s harvested when its young and green;  a whole grain with a distinct  flavor. There are two kinds, one is whole grain; the other cracked.  The whole grain variety is firm and similar to a wild rice,  and the cracked is just the whole grain cracked into smaller pieces,  and is similar to bulgur  wheat or farro. 

So is freekeh the new quinoa?  It’s been around for centuries, however recently its become the “new ancient grain”.  Nutrition wise, freekeh is slightly higher in fiber, equal in protein, and lower in calories than quinoa.  It also has high, iron, calcium and and zinc. 

I modified a bean salad recipe that is in a book we developed for our intern class; submitted by Natalia. Its a favorite of ours but the original calls for sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli,  which I didn’t have, so I substituted sun-dried tomato paste,  edamame,  and added my freekeh!  It has all the things I love in a salad; its quick, easy and tasty!