Freekeh Salad with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Raisins

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 fenu-greek, 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. 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.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Adiust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 de

Step 2

Toss squash with oil and fenugreek and season with salta per. Arrange squash in single layer in rimmed baking sh roast until well browned and tender, 30 to 35 minutes, halfway through roasting; let cool to room temperature.

Step 3

2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch c freekeh and 1 tablespoon salt, return to boil, and cook u are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain freekeh, transfer tol and let cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Step 4

3. Combine raisins and 1 cup hot tap water in and let sit until softened, about 5 minutes; drain I squash, raisins, dressing, cilantro, and walnuts to freekeh and gently toss to combine. Season with s per to taste. Serve.

Step 5

FOR TAHINI DRESSING: Whisk lemon juice, tahini, water, garl. salt, and pepper together in bowl until smooth. Whisking constantly, slowly dr in oil until emulsified. (Dressing can De refrigerated for up to 1 week.)