Freekeh salad with roasted beets, sweet potatoes and green beans

This is a delicious salad, filled with good-for-you ingredients. Hearty enough to be a meal on its own, it makes a great lunch to pack for work/school. 

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

For the freekeh:

- 1 cup freekeh

- 1 onion

- 2 1/2 cups water

- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

- salt and pepper, to taste

For the veggies:

- 3 small beets

- 2 sweet potatoes, diced

- 1 cup green beans, trimmed

- 1 garlic clove, mashed

- vegetable oil 

- salt and pepper, to taste

For the  balsamic-maple reduction (recipe here)

 - 1 onion, finely chopped
 - 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
 - 1/3 cup red wine
 - 1/3 cup maple syrup (or brown sugar, if unavailable)
 - 1/4 cup water
 - 2 bay leaves
 - extra-virgin olive oil
 - salt and pepper

Wash and dry the beets then place them on a baking sheet, drizzle with vegetable oil and toss to coat well. Roast at 400 F for about 30 - 40 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the beets. Let cool enough to handle, then peel the beets and either slice or dice them.

Place the sweet potato cubes in an oven proof dish and toss with vegetable oil. Roast at 400 F until fork tender and some edges start to brown.

Bring a medium size pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add the trimmed green beans and cook for about 4 minutes or until desired tenderness. Drain and run green beans under cold water.

 While the veggies are roasting, heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until translucent, add the freekeh and sauté about 4 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add the water, season with salt and pepper and boil uncovered for about 10 minutes or until water has reduced by half then cover and lower the heat and continue to boil for 10 minutes longer or until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes then fluff with fork.

Assemble the salad by combining the freekeh with mashed garlic. Add the beets, sweet potatoes, green beans and drizzle with the balsamic-maple reduction. Enjoy!