Grains ground spring salad with earthy flavor

This salad tastes like spring waved a wand of freshness over an earthy, tender grain, turning a handful of practical, staple ingredients into a bright, versatile dish. The grain here is freekeh, an ancient whole wheat that hails from the Middle East. It cooks up soft and fluffy, with a gentle chew and a light, toasty flavor, which is owed to harvesting the grain while it’s still young and green, and then roasting it over an open fire.

I discovered freekeh about a year ago, and it has become a regular in my cupboard. But this salad would work with just about any whole grain you might have in your pantry, such as quinoa, farro or barley, for instance.

Once the grain is cooked and chilled, the sunny spring ingredients brighten it up: sweet flecks of grated carrot, grassy leaves of parsley and cool mint. A generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds amplifies the nuttiness of the whole grain and adds richness and crunch, while a simple lemon and olive oil vinaigrette ties the elements together.

Topped with some roasted chicken or an egg or two, this makes a satisfying entree salad that’s just right for the season.

Grain Salad With Carrot, Herbs and Sesame Seeds

1 cup (7 ounces) uncooked freekeh, farro, barley or quinoa

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons white sesame

seeds

1 cup coarsely grated carrot

(from 1 large carrot) Heaping ¼ cup chopped fresh

flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh

mint leaves

2 teaspoons finely grated

lemon zest

2 tablespoons extra-virgin

olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon

juice Cook the freekeh (or farro, barley or a grain of your choice) in salted boiling water according to package directions, until al dente. Drain any excess liquid and refrigerate until the grain is chilled, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. In a dry skillet over mediumhigh heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring often, until golden and fragrant and beginning to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked grain, sesame seeds, carrot, parsley, mint and lemon zest into a medium bowl and toss until mixed. Add the oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste; gently toss to coat. Makes 2 (main dish) or 4 (side dish) servings. Nutrition information: Each (of 2 servings prepared with freekeh) contains approximately 360 calories, 8 g protein, 14 g fat, 48 g carbohydrate (2 g sugar), no cholesterol, 276 mg sodium and 12 g fiber. Carbohydrate choices: 3.

Grain Salad With Carrot, Herbs and Sesame Seeds (The Washington Post/Ann Maloney)