Freekeh Pilaf with Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Sauce
This healthy Middle Eastern-inspired meal features cracked freekeh, roasted cauliflower, tahini sauce and fresh herbs. Easily made vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on May 14, 2025
Have you tried freekeh? I’m glad they did, because now I have a new favorite quick-cooking grain in my pantry.
I’d honestly poked fun of funny-sounding “freekeh” before I tasted it myself, in part because it conjured up memories of the rap songs playing at parties during my early college years. Ah, freekeh freekeh! Sorry. As it turns out, freekeh is not a lyric from rap songs or bland hippie food.
Freekeh is a flavorful strain of ancient wheat with a nutty, slightly smoky flavor and a pleasantly chewy, couscous-like texture. Cooked freekeh pairs well with Mediterranean flavors. I combined it with roasted cauliflower, creamy tahini sauce and fresh herbs to make this delicious whole-grain meal.
Freekeh Origins & Nutrition
While the grain is new to me, freekeh is actually one of the oldest grains out there. Freekeh is young, green wheat that has been roasted and cooked in the Middle East for about 2000 years.
Since freekeh is a strain of wheat, it’s not gluten free, but it is highly nutritious. It’s rich in protein, iron and above all, fiber.
The fiber content is no joke. Freekeh has twice as much fiber as quinoa, and it keeps me feeling full for hours. I wasn’t hungry for breakfast after my dinner of roasted cauliflower and freekeh the evening before.
How to Cook Freekeh
Cracked freekeh cooks up in 25 minutes, requiring less than half the time of wheat berries or other whole grains. I’ve found two slightly different cooking methods that produce different textures.
For a fluffier, more separated, couscous-like texture, cook the freekeh just until tender, then drain off any liquid and let it steam in the pot, covered, for 5 minutes, before fluffing it with a fork.
If you want a more creamy, borderline risotto-like texture, cook the freekeh until it has absorbed all of the moisture in the pot.
About This Freekeh Recipe
I decided to stay true to freekeh’s Middle Eastern roots with this herbed cauliflower and tahini dish. I found a freekeh pilaf recipe on the back of the freekeh package, and it reminded me of an amazing rice pilaf I tried in Israel, so I used that as the base of the dish.
I altered the method to produce a fluffier texture, which contrasts nicely with the creamy sauce. I’ve been obsessed with the combination of creamy, nutty tahini with caramelized cauliflower ever since I tried a cauliflower pita sandwich at a local Mediterranean restaurant earlier this year.
The complete dish is my new favorite comfort meal. It’s healthy and wholesome, but above all, outrageously delicious.
Where to Buy
Freekeh can be difficult to find, so you might have better luck finding it online than in your local grocery store. Bob’s Red Mill no longer carries it, and it’s unavailable at our nearby Whole Foods. Yupik brand sells a well-rated organic freekeh on Amazon.
Freekeh Substitutions
If you can’t find freekeh, substitute another whole grain from your pantry. Whole wheat couscous, farro, quinoa, or barley would work here. You’ll just need to adjust the amount of liquid and cooking time accordingly.
Freekeh Pilaf with Roasted Cauliflower and Garlicky Tahini Sauce
This healthy Middle Eastern-inspired meal features roasted cauliflower, cracked freekeh, garlicky tahini sauce, fresh parsley and raisins. It’s easily made vegan. Recipe yields two large servings or up to four smaller servings.
Ingredients
Roasted cauliflower
- 1 large, tightly packed head of cauliflower, sliced into bite-sized florets
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freekeh pilaf
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup slivered or sliced almonds
- 1 ¼ cups cracked freekeh*
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (25 ounces) vegetable stock and/or water
Garlicky tahini sauce
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
- Scant ⅓ cup water
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnishes
- Handful fresh parsley and/or cilantro leaves, chopped
- Crumbled feta (optional, omit for a vegan dish)
- Small handful raisins
- Sprinkling of sesame seeds
Instructions
- To roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss cauliflower florets with enough olive oil to cover them in a light, even layer of oil. Season with salt and pepper and arrange the florets in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway, until the florets are deeply golden on the edges.
- To cook the freekeh: Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re fragrant and turning golden on the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the freekeh and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, coriander and salt, and sauté for 1 more minute. Add vegetable broth, raise the heat and bring the mixture a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, until freekeh is tender to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To make the dressing: In a bowl, stir together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and red pepper flakes. Whisk in the water until you have a smooth, blended tahini sauce. Season generously with salt (I added about ¼ teaspoon) and black pepper, to taste.
- To assemble the individual dishes: Start with a bed of cooked freekeh and top with roasted cauliflower. Drizzle tahini sauce generously over the dish and then top with a sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, crumbled feta (optional), raisins and sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Leftovers are best stored as individual components and assembled after reheating the freekeh and cauliflower.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bob’s Red Mill’s freekeh pilaf (found on back of freekeh bag) and my tahini dressing.
Leftovers? Leftover tahini sauce makes a great dressing for greens. Actually, any leftover components would go great in a green salad.
*Freekeh substitutions If you can’t find freekeh, substitute your whole grain of choice for the freekeh, adjusting vegetable broth and cooking time as necessary. Farro, barley, whole wheat couscous or quinoa would make great substitutes for the freekeh.
Make it gluten free: Substitute quinoa for the freekeh, adjusting the amount of liquid (vegetable broth and/or water) and cooking time accordingly.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Skip the feta.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Mmm…love tahini sauce!
I have never had freekeh before, but it looks like it would be delicious. Combined with tahini, you can’t go wrong :) I work in a natural foods store and we sell a lot of Bob’s Red Mill products, so I have to order some freekeh.
Thanks, Kristie! Definitely keep an eye out for freekeh, I really love it!
This looks incredible! I love Middle Eastern flavors, so I’ll have to try this out soon!
Roasted cauliflower is the best, love the tahini sauce!
Love discovering new grains, recently found out I love kamut and that amaranth…not so much. Will have to try freekeh next ;)
P.S. I was thinking the song you were referring to was Run DMC but then I realized the lyrics to that song are “it’s tricky” not freaky. Haha.
That sounds like an awesome winter salad! Love the name freekeh…such a fun grain!
I’ve never heard of freekeh before (what a funny name for a grain). But I’m definitely inspired to try it out. And yeah… can’t go wrong with roasted cauliflower and tahini sauce.
every time i see ‘freekeh’ i think of that song, too… ah!
i like what you came up with. i’m sensitive to wheat so i think i’d opt for millet or sorghum in place of the freekeh, but i’m all about your flavor pairings here. simple and good. i love your style!
Thanks, Jaime! I bet either would go great with this dish (I’d probably go with sorghum!). Enjoy!
Such a fun baking challenge! And this looks awesome!
MmMmmM, this looks so delicious!
I’m new to freekeh, but I love it! It is so filling, you are right!! Love this simple recipe :)
I love it when I see my ethnic food cooked in this creative way :) you’ve nailed it
Thank you, Farida! :)
Looks delicious, Kate! I’ve never tried (or heard of!) freekeh before. But tahini dressing is always good in my book!
By the way, BHPhoto is having some major cyber Monday deals, if you want to get any equipment for starting to do videos. That’s where I purchased my camera from and they were wonderful (customer service is awesome!). Just thought I’d let you know! I’m uploading new videos 5 days a week starting tomorrow-Christmas and I might be grabbing a new lens on Monday to take advantage of the deals (+get some cool bokeh light effects from the Christmas decorations!).
Hope you have a great day :)
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Thanks, Ella! I checked out BH’s deals but I’m still holding out for a new Canon camera with video. Just can’t decide if I should buy one now or wait and see if they come out with a new model in a few months!
Looks delicious, Kate! I’ve been meaning to try freekah for a while now, but just haven’t gotten around to it. But I am certainly motivated now. Can’t wait to try out this salad!
I had to check out the “freekah” when I saw this post. Now I will need to go back to my 70’s roots and get my “freekah” on! But first I’ll try this recipe with quinoa, because I’m dying to try some of that garlicky tahini sauce. This recipe sounds sooooo good!
Haha! Hope you enjoyed the cauliflower with quinoa, Sandy.
Killing me here! and to think I just picked up a ginormous head of cauliflower tonight…meant to be. Not gonna like; I’m probably going to have to do this with miso. Just gotta.
Hope you loved this dish, Jen! Miso sounds like a very good idea to me.
This looks yummy! Roasting is my favorite way of cooking cauliflower. And I’ve never seen Freekeh here in Switzerland, but fortunately, I found some in Canada this summer. So making this for dinner!
Awesome! Hope you enjoyed it!
This looks so yummy and unique!
Love the idea of tahini sauce! This looks like a couscous bowl that I make when I need a break from heavier food. Couscous, roasted vegetables and a lemon-tahini sauce. Can’t wait to try it with Freekah!
Oh, your couscous bowl sounds great! Thanks, Alex.
If I don’t eat this ASAP I might die!!
Absolutely love tahini sauce… thanks for sharing this unique recipe!
This sounds amazing! I already make a roasted Cauli with tahini dressing dish, which gets gobbled up, but hadn’t thought to serve with a pilaf. SO excited by this idea.
Thanks, Louise! I love any combination of cauliflower and tahini, but it’s really great on pilaf! Enjoy!
Just made this for my family. My 16 y.o. vegetarian daughter pointed out the recipe. It is absolutely delicious!!! Really satisfying, without all the guilt of a heavy meal. We loved it and will be adding it to our regular favorites. Super easy too!! This is a must make!!
Sheila, so glad to hear that you all enjoyed the dish! I love it, too—it’s comforting and creamy, but full of veggies and whole grains. Thank you for commenting!
I’ve never tried freekeh before, but I have been meaning to for the longest time! This recipe will definitely get me going!
I seriously love everything about this dish! You’ve got me craving some Middle Eastern flavors in a serious way.
This was so good-thank you
Glad to hear it! Thank you!
I couldn’t find freekeh at the store, so I made it with farro instead. It’s now one of my new favorite dishes! Thank you for creating it!
Wonderful! Thanks, Ashley, I’m glad to hear it!
Hi Kate,
I LOVE your food site!! I am always excited when I open my emails and see that you have posted. The recipe today looks amazing! I have some freekeh, but haven’t tried it yet. And, I have some cauliflower in the fridge! Yeah!
I have been wanting to tell you that I love greens, but especially Kale. I get a big bunch of kale, clean it and take out the tough ribs. Then I steam it just for a few minutes. I let it cool and then put in a plastic bag, flattened down, and throw it in the freezer. I use this on everything….pizza, in soup, and so many other things. It is so easy to pull out of the freezer and break a piece off and then chop it a bit depending on how I am using it. I love it for the taste, but, also for the awesome color it adds to the dish.
Keep on posting, your ideas are wonderful.
Peace,
Denise
Denise, thank you! I’m delighted to hear that you’ve been enjoying my recipes. I love your kale prep idea, will have to try that soon! Thanks for sharing and happy holidays!
Oh WOW. This looks absolutely delicious – I LOVE roasted cauliflower! I don’t think I’ve ever tried freekeh but you’ve made it look so good!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!! Had to substitute the freekeh with quinoa since it wasn’t available at my grocery store. The roasted cauliflower was perfect with the garlicky tahnini sauce and feta. Everything about this recipe was delicious, and I will definitely be having it again. Thanks for another “10/10 will make again” Kate!
Hooray! Thank you, Katie!
Made this for dinner tonight and HOLY COW is it amazing! The flavors all go together so well – this is a masterpiece! I subbed out couscous for the freekeh – it was delicious (and fast, too). Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks, Rachel! So glad it turned out great!
Dang girl, I knocked my husband’s socks off last night with this recipe! The sauce was SO flavorful (I added more garlic because we are fiends) and it was only us two for dinner :)
Unfortunately I couldn’t find Freekeh so I combined quinoa and barley which was super yummy.
Thanks, Lisa! So glad you both enjoyed it.
Hi Kate – i actually subsituted course bulgar – it actually looks similar!
I live in the middle east but sadly my Carrfoure ran out of Freekheh :(
I have been looking at ways to use it – i tried it once in salad but i guess i did not wash it enough bc there was lots of stones. I will have to give it another shot.
I will be trying this tonight – thanks! Ironically enough – i live in the middle east and can find Freekheh – but my carrefore was sold out. So i will be using coarse bulgar – it looks similar – hopefully it tastes great!
Oh, that’s funny. Hope this dish turned out great for you, Penny!
This was great, and a little different from anything I’ve had before. Thank you for sharing.
We’ve made this a few times now and have switched the freekeh for any plain grain we have left over (cooked with the spices). We’ve topped it with toasted almonds and yellow raisins in addition to the vegetables and sauce. This makes an for an easy to-go lunch too – one that does not disappoint..!
Thank you, Linn! So glad you’re enjoying this dish. I love the way you have adapted it to work with a variety of grains!
This made a great vegan meal. I bought a (large) bag of freekeh from Costco and had no idea what to do with it. I was just adding about 1/4 cup in with rice to serve with dishes, but this pilaf was so good. The tahini dressing turned out watery for me, but I added a bit more tahini and about two teaspoons more lemon juice and it turned out great. Also added some pan fried tofu, chickpeas and kale to the dish for additional protein!
Thanks, Haley! I love freekeh and hope you do, too, now! Your tahini might have been thinner than mine to begin with. I’m glad you remedied the situation!
If your city has any middle eastern grocery stores, you can likely find freekeh there. I went into one in Denver today and they had it.
We had this tonight and it was delicious! I roasted the cauliflower leaves along with the cauliflower and threw them in the bowl. Yummy! Thank you. :)
Thank you, Sarah! So glad you enjoyed it. Great idea to roast the leaves, too, I’ll have to try that!
I am making this for a second time right now! It turned out so good! I brought it to a BBQ where I was meeting some long distance family of my boyfriends… I won’t lie, I got nervous before serving it (I hadn’t tried it yet!) but everyone loved it! Only bummer is that I had to order the freekeh online. Next time I’m buying in bulk though :)
Thanks, Dani! So glad your dish turned out well for the BBQ. I get nervous when I cook for other people!
Not quite sure how this recipe got 5 stars… I wanted to love it, and I was looking so forward to it, but the sauce just ruined it. Sauce was so gross. Maybe without the sauce it would be fine, but cost me an arm and a leg to make sure I had all these ingredients, and to spend an hr in the kitchen, then for it to turn out less than amazing… I was disappointed.
Robin, I’m so bummed you didn’t enjoy the sauce. Maybe your tahini has gone bad, or it’s just not for you? I absolutely loved it and the other reviewers have, too.
I’m typing this as I’m eating – this recipe is DANG good. I added some chipotle pepper to the tahini sauce. Delicious.
Hooray! Thanks, Sarah!
Yum! Just finished eating this, and it was so good! I was slightly concerned two cloves of raw garlic in the tahini would be too much (I’m always wary of too much raw garlic) but it was perfect!
Thank you! :)
Thanks, Erika! Happy to hear it!
I have been trying to find a good recipe for freekah (and have had some questionable ones)…this was AMAZING! I loved the combo of cauliflower, smoky freekah and garlicky tahini. I’ve already shared with friends!!!
Thank you so much, Claire! :)
This is delicious!! I made a couple changes because my wife is allergic to nuts and we are both gluten free. I subbed sunflower seeds for almonds and used quinoa for the grain. I used a salted veg broth so for that reason did not add salt to the pilaf. Also skipped all the toppings and it was great as is! We ate it with falafel for some extra protein. Very satisfying meal that I will make again!! Thank you!
Thank you, Rachel! Glad you enjoyed it!
Kate you are inspirational! A friend introduced me to freekeh about a month ago, and I have since cooked it for about three other dinner parties. This evening I have just made your cauliflower and tahini recipe for a vegetarian friend of mine, who has travelled widely and has enjoyed more ethnic food than I can imagine, but she said this is possibly one of the best ever things that she has eaten! Naturally I was flattered, but it was of course your easy to follow recipe that had such delicious flavours going on. I will definitely be making this again, just as you have written it.
Wow, thank you, Chippy! That’s quite a compliment. I’m so glad it was a hit with your friend! Thanks for letting me know!
This was amazing! Everyone loved it. Will definitely be making this again!
Hooray! Thanks for letting me know, Valerie!
This recipe was fantastic. Even with the omission of raisins, feta, and sesame seeds, the dish was zingy from the lemon and very hearty due to the delicious freekah. Next time I make, I’ll add some currants and perhaps a bit of orange zest. Thanks for sharing! Will be making over and over again.
Thank you, Connie! Glad you enjoyed it!
I have found Freekeh at a local Middle Eastern market here in SoCal.
Glad to hear it!
Made the recipe using quinoa. The roasted cauliflower tahini sauce combination is phenomenal! Love this recipe. Will definitely make again in the near future.
Been making this with quinoa…so good!!!