Freekeh Garbanzo Pilaf

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked at least 4 hours
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 sprig thyme
• 3 black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, small dice
• 1/4 cup carrot, peeled, small dice
• 1/4 cup fennel, small dice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup freekeh, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 cup parsley, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1 sprig mint, leaves roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 lemon, juice of

Recipe

• 1 freekeh must be soaked for 30 minutes prior to cooking.
• 2 for the garbanzos:.
• 3 drain the garbanzos of their soaking liquid.
• 4 place in a medium sized pot and cover with about 3 cups fresh water.
• 5 add bay leaf, garlic, thyme and peppercorns. you can place them in a bouquet garni bag if you choose.
• 6 bring the water up to a boil. simmer until the garbanzos are cooked through.
• 7 drain, remove the aromatics, and set aside.
• 8 to prepare the pilaf:.
• 9 heat up the olive oil in a medium sized pot.
• 10 sweat the onion, carrot, fennel, and garlic until the onion and fennel appear translucent.
• 11 add the cinnamon, coriander, cumin and a pinch of salt, and stir for another minute or two.
• 12 drain the freekeh of its soaking liquid and add it to the pot. stir everything together so that the freekeh is well integrated, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring gently.
• 13 pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.
• 14 cover the pot and let cook for 30 minutes.
• 15 add the garbanzos and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the wheat is cooked through.
• 16 note:keep in mind that these are wheat berries, so they will have a slightly chewy texture and will not be completely soft.
• 17 make the short sauce by blending the remaining ingredients (starting with the cilantro) together until coarsely chopped, as you do not want a smooth puree.
• 18 spoon a bit of the sauce into the pot and stir to combine.
• 19 serve while warm.