Hi friends :)
First, I am soooo excited to share that I was asked to curate a vegan collection on Unicorn Goods, the world’s largest vegan ethical catalog. This all-vegan and cruelty-free shop is amazing, and I cannot even begin to tell you how honored I was to hear from them! Check out what I put together for them HERE, and the awesome post they wrote about The Friendly Fig, HERE. This makes me so happy! I’m truly blessed.
Okay… now. Freekeh freekeh freekeh. It’s so much fun to say, ahhhhh. Have you tried it? My mom got me on this kick after making this amazing soup. I actually couldn’t find freekeh in any stores around here, though… even Whole Foods was out. I ended up grabbing it off Amazon, because Amazon Prime is my life now.
Anyways, so freekeh (pronounced just as you would expect: free-kah) is an ancient grain that tastes sorta nutty/earthy in flavor. It’s a little chewy when cooked, and is the perfect nutritional powerhouse for any and all vegetable soups. When she first told me about it, I did a little looking into the benefits, so I’ll share a few of the ones that stood out to me.
Freekeh is low in fat, but high in protein and fiber. It actually has four times the fiber of brown rice, which means you’ll fill up and of course… healthy digestion and bowel movement later. It’s rich in probiotic properties, which is important for healthy bacteria in the body, and has a low glycaemic index (great for diabetics). It’s loaded with calcium, iron, zinc, and all that other good stuff that you should be taking in. But really, it’s just so damn tasty and with benefits like this no top of that, it’s a new staple in my house and it might as well be in yours.
So here’s my favorite freekeh recipe. I hope to experiment with it more soon, but this is an easy start. Don’t let the long ingredient list fool you – it’s mostly veggie prep.
The Recipe
You will need:
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 sweet potato, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1/2 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 vidalia onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbs curry spice
- 1/2 tbs turmeric
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flake
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup freekeh
- 6 cups water
- 2 tbs vegetable paste (I use Better Than Bouillion Vegetable Paste because it’s incredible)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 handful kale
To make:
- Add sweet potato, carrots, zucchini, onion, and garlic to a large stock pan with olive oil.
- Sauté for about 2 minutes, adding the curry, turmeric, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Add freekeh, water, and vegetable paste – give it a good stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 min, add your chickpeas and kale – cook for another 10-15 minutes on low heat.
- Serve and enjoy the benefits ;)
I know it’s almost summer, but soup is always a good idea. Especially this one. If you have any tried and true freekeh recipes, please send them my way. Now go and enjoy the sunshine :) xx bianca
