Baby Kale and Toasted Freekeh Salad with Almond Butter Dressing
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup Freekeh
- Sea salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted raw almond butter
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced to paste
- 6 tablespoons ice water
- 1/2 cup fresh mix of fresh herbs such as parsley, mint and cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
- Several handfuls baby kale, thick stems removed
- Freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter and olive oil together in a medium saucepan over a low flame. Add diced onion, cinnamon and allspice and cook until soft, translucent and just slightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Return saucepan to heat and add freekeh. Toast, shaking pan, until freekeh is fragrant, about 3 more minutes. Return onion mixture to pan and add 2 cups cold water. Bring water to a boil, season with a scant teaspoon sea salt, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and uncover. Place a clean dish towel over saucepan, return cover and let stand about 15 minutes. Uncover and cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, combine almond butter, lemon juice and garlic paste in a small bowl. Whisk in ice water creating a nice thick dressing akin to tahini in consistency. Season well with sea salt. Combine cooked freekeh, herbs, almonds and kale in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add dressing (you might not want to use all at once) and toss well so both greens and grains are nicely coated.