Name: Freekeh Salad with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Raisins
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1½ cups whole freekeh; 3/4 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking freekeh; 1½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (4 cups); 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided; ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek; 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided; ⅓ cup golden raisins; 2½ tablespoons lemon juice; 2 tablespoons tahini; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro; ⅓ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

Why This Recipe Works

Freekeh is a commonly used grain across the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. We thought its grassy, slightly smoky flavor would work perfectly with sweet roasted winter squash as a hearty lunch or a light dinner. To replace hard-to-find or seasonally restrictive Mediterranean winter squashes, we chose widely available butternut squash. Roasting the squash resulted in lightly charred, beautifully caramelized edges; to give the squash more dimension, we paired it with fenugreek, a slightly sweet and nutty seed with a unique maple-like flavor. To bring all the elements together, we stirred in a rich yet bright tahini-lemon dressing. Chopped walnuts offered complementary crunch.

Before You Begin

We prefer the texture of whole, uncracked freekeh; cracked freekeh can be substituted, but you will need to decrease the freekeh cooking time in step 2.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add freekeh and 1 tablespoon salt, return to boil, and cook until grains are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain freekeh, spread over rimmed baking sheet, and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil, fenugreek, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast until well browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring halfway through roasting; let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Combine raisins and ¼ cup hot tap water in small bowl and let sit until softened, about 5 minutes; drain.

Whisk lemon juice, tahini, 1 tablespoon water, garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon pepper in large bowl until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in remaining ¼ cup oil. Add cooled freekeh, squash, plumped raisins, cilantro, and walnuts and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.