MOROCCAN SORGHUM SALAD

11/20/2020

A delicious Moroccan inspired salad, made with gluten free grain sorghum. Add some punchy flavors via apricots, almonds, preserved lemon, and plenty of herbs, and you've got one delicious lunch/dinner in a single bowl.

INGREDIENTS

2 c sorghum
2 c parsley
1 c mint
2/3 c dried apricots
1/2 c preserved lemons finely diced, ~1 lemon
2/3 c almonds activated/ toasted
2 avocados cubed

DRESSING

6 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp liquid sweetener
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp sea salt
2 garlic cloves crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak sorghum in filtered water overnight to remove any nutrient inhibitors. The next day, drain and rinse, then add to the pot with 2 and 1/2 cups of filtered water, as well as the cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 35 minutes or until soft. Leave to slightly cook.
Finely chop the herbs and preserved lemon, roughly chop the apricots and almonds. Cube the avocados when you're ready to serve.
For your dressing, add everything in a jar. With the lid closed, shake until combined.
Mix all ingredients in a big bowl, gently lifting and folding to cover everything really well in dressing. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES

You can use fresh lemon instead of preserved lemon, although the flavor will not be as intense. If so, use the zest and flesh of 1 lemon, plus an extra 1/2 tsp sea salt (as the preserved lemon is very salty).
If you don't have time to soak your sorghum the night before (or forget), simply rinse, add to pot with 6 cups of filtered water, bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 50 minutes or until soft.
If, for some reason, the sorghum grains are still hard after the water is absorbed simply add more water and cook until you are satisfied with the texture.
Because sorghum is a firmer grain, expect a harder texture after cooking. However, I would recommend sampling the sorghum after the 35-minute stage to taste and see if it is to your liking. If not, simply cook and sample until it is the texture that you like best.
Depending on your cooktop and cook times, your sorghum that it may not necessarily absorb all the water, so if there is any left-over then I just drain it.
While definitely similar visually to Israeli couscous, this will cook very differently as it is a whole grain and not a type of pasta, so while you would expect a soft texture from couscous, sorghum is to be expected to be a bit firmer.
Note that 2 cups of dry sorghum make 6 1/2 cups worth of cooked grain - enough for a hearty dinner for four, or light meal for six.
To make this salad nut free, replace the almonds with dried activated, or lightly roasted sunflower seeds.
If you're making this salad in advance, you can mix all the ingredients except the herbs and avocados a whole day before hand (the flavours actually absorb really nicely this way). Then just before serving (or less than an hour before) fold through the freshly chopped herbs and avocado.
This salad is great as a stand-alone meal, but also works really well on a shared table. It's packed full of protein and healthy fats, so no other protein is need alongside to make this a complete meal.
You can serve this salad warm or cold. Let the sorghum cool down completely before mixing the herbs, avocados, dressing.
This salad is perfect for your next potluck. Simple take your whole avocados with you, cube and mix just before serving. You can also reserve some of the dressing and serve on the side so guests can add to taste.

Recipes source: https://begoodorganics.com/moroccan-sorghum-salad/#wprm-recipe-container-1852