Cypriot Grain Salad

A rectangular serving dish filled with a pomegranate and yoghurt salad.

A delicious Cypriot Grain Salad filled with nuts, seeds, currants, herbs and topped with a honey Greek yoghurt dressing and pomegranate seeds.

5 from 23 votes

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Course: Salads

Cuisine: Cypriot, western

Prep Time: 20

Total Time: 20

Servings: serves

Calories: 445kcal

Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

Cost: $15

Equipment

Stove-top

Ingredients

For The Grain Salad

1 cup quinoa cooked (or substitute for brown rice or freekah)
2 tbs pumpkin seeds toasted
2 tbs slivered almonds toasted
2 tbs pine nuts toasted
½ bunch fresh coriander chopped
½ bunch fresh parsley chopped
½ red onion finely chopped
420 g can lentils rinsed and drained
2 tbs capers drained
½ cup currants
juice of 1 lemon
3 tbs olive oil

For The Dressing

1 cup Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tbs honey
1 pomegranate deseeded (see notes)

Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to the packet directions. Set aside and allow to cool.
Place the pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds and pine nuts into a frying pan over low heat. Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.
Place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl.
Add the cooled nuts and seeds, chopped coriander and parsley, red onion, lentils, capers and currants.
Add the lemon juice and olive oil to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together until well combined.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer the salad to a serving dish.
To make the dressing, place the Greek yoghurt, ground cumin and honey into a bowl. Stir until combined.
When ready to serve, spoon the dressing over the top of the salad.
Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the dressing and serve.

Notes

RECIPE NOTES & TIPS

Ingredients Info:

Quinoa - alternatively you can substitute the quinoa with freekah or save time by using a store-bought packet of precooked brown rice.
Pumpkin Seeds, Slivered Almonds & Pine Nuts - if you don't have one of the varieties of nuts or seeds (or are catering for food allergies), then you can simply increase the amount of the others used.
Fresh Coriander & Parsley - I know that lots of people (myself included!!!), don't particularly like fresh coriander, but I highly recommend that you include it in this recipe as the flavour blends in beautifully.
Greek Yoghurt - choose a thick Greek or natural yoghurt.
Honey - if you can't access honey, you can use maple syrup or corn syrup instead.
Pomegranate Seeds - either deseed your own pomegranate using my tips in the recipe post or buy a packet of pomegranate seeds from the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket. Packaged pomegranate seeds are generally only available around Christmas time, so if you're making this salad throughout the year, you will need to deseed a pomegranate yourself.

More Recipe Tips:

Storing - this salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The leftovers the day after you make it are absolutely delicious.

Freezing - this recipe is not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition