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.
I tried this recipe out expecting it to be healthy but not super tasty. It was amazing! The almonds worked perfectly with the rice (I subbed basmati rice because I couldn’t find freekeh) and the cauliflower tasted delicious. The tahini sauce was sour in a good way, and went great with the rest of the meal. The recipe wasn’t too challenging and my (non-vegan) family enjoyed it. Will definitely be making this again!
This was so good!! I cheated and used Annie’s goddess tahini dressing. :) My husband really loved it too….As he does most of your recipes I make….he says that Cookie has some good recipes! :)
Wow! This was amazing! I will make this again and again!
Kate, I’ve been reading and cooking from your blog for about 4 years now and this is my first comment. Just wanted to thank you for offering such reliably tasty and accessible yet varied recipes. Your blog has consistently remained my favorite! I always recommend you to friends who ask me what I (as a vegetarian) eat. Often after recommending your blog, I get pictures and posts from them about how great your recipes turned out! Thanks for making vegetarianism more accessible and delicious. Looking forward to your book too! :-)
PS. Also, this recipe is one of my favorites!
I just made this and LOVE it.
This recipe is incredible! Half of our family grumbles about vegan meals tasting bland. This dish is packed with deliciousness! Nobody complained last night. It is very filling as well. The sauce could easily be enjoyed on any other whole grain. We bought the freekeh at Sam’s Club but I have seen it at Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes, as well as Amazon.com. We divided the recipe into 6 decent sized portions, however 4 would be plenty for main dish sized meals. The freekeh expanded enormously so one purchased package will make many many meals. I will definitely make this again!
This was awesome !
I couldn’t find tahini at my local grocery (!) so I made up a fake one, combining plain yogourt and goma sauce, and I think it made up for it pretty well. My version was over couscous. Front there I went along the recipe, and adding a few fresh cherry tomato hand picked from the garden.
This recipe is now on top on my list ! Thank you so much !
Sound yummy. My freekeh was given to me by a friend who didn’t like it and the grains look mostly whole. The package is mostly in Arabic and only says cook until done in English. Can I use it and how should I modify the cooking time or recipe to compensate?
We absolutely love this recipe. If you closed your eyes while eating it, you would swear there was meat in it. We love adding the crumbled feta cheese and some raisins before drizzling the tahini sauce on it.
I’ve made this twice now and the only suggestion I would offer is to roast more cauliflower as there never seems to be enough to go around.
As cracked freekeh is expensive, we actually ordered a large organic bag of it online and froze it in smaller bags. Company is out of Minneapolis but product shipped from California.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I made this then divided it into mason jars and had it for lunch 5 days in a row. Lol! I was still looking forward to it on Friday! Really great! Whitney
This is freekeh delish! I especially loved the tangy tahini sauce. The only problem is there aren’t any leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch…the two of us polished off the entire recipe. I will definately make this again.
OMG!!! This was amazing! My son and I absolutely loved this dish! The only thing I did different was use Quinoa because I couldn’t find the Freekeh. I can’t wait to make this for my sister and family when they come visit in a month!
Quinoa sounds like a delicious substitute, Julie. I hope your family likes it, too!
So good! I’m not vegan but there is so much flavor you don’t really need cheese. Used dried cranberries and homemade tahini to make garlicky sauce. Yum.
Yum! Sounds delicious, Julie.
Hello Kate,
I found your website purely by accident today as I was searching the internet for a vegetarian dinner option. I ended up making your cauliflower and freekeh bowl….OMG! Absolutely fabulous! My husband loved it too. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes…thank you so much for your beautiful and tasty creativity!
All the best,
Michele
So glad you found my blog, Michele! Thanks for commenting.
I made this tonight subbing quinoa for the freekeh. And added some sautéed mini bell peppers. Delicious! This recipe is added to favorites.
Yum! Sounds so good.
Would it work to use chopped almonds or is it best to buy the sliced ones? I have whole almonds in my cupboard that I could put through the food processor if that would work.
I think chopping them would be just fine, Alicia!
This is one of my new favourite recipes – it’s become a rotating regular on the menus at our house :) Thank you so much!
Great! Thanks, Sheila!
Yummy! I added a pinch of ground chipotle to the cauliflower to spice it up! Also added some fresh chopped spinach to the salad, just because I didn’t feel like making an additional green veggie. I think it would’ve been great even without the tahini sauce!
Great! I’m glad your version worked out so well, Angela.
I had never even heard of freekeh, but I had to try it. I made this last night (with pecans as I’m allergic to almonds) and hubby and I loved it so much that it’s already GONE. I even ate some for breakfast too–yummy! I am going to try this with some different veggies. I loved how the tahini sauce looked rather unappetizing and separated until whisking turned it so smooth and velvety! I doubled the cumin and coriander since I love both and it was fabulous! Thank you for my new favorite!
I have to say, we LOVED this recipe. I used quinoa instead and it was just fantastic so easy and quick to make.
Thank you!
Brace yourself for a long winded review…
I’m 47 and I have never ever used a recipe for a meal. Only for baked goods. So this was a big deal for me as I’ve always just cooked intuitively, which has worked well. But I was looking for new vegetarian ideas when I found your site. My husband is very “whitebread”, give him a hot dog on a white squishy wonderbread roll and he’s most happy. So I wasn’t expecting rave reviews tonight. And it started out as expected. His first bite elicited a comparison to a dirty dish rag but he continued eating. Then he decided it was just different… then it was pretty good… then it was good enough he would eat it again
In my opinion it was delicious! I only wish I had cooked two heads of cauliflower as I love my veggies. My picky 12 year old said it was really really good and I can’t wait for my 82 year old mom to get home and try it!
I will definitely make this again and the only changes I will make will be to increase the amount of cauliflower and maybe omit the salt as I have high blood pressure.
Thanks for the recipe and I look forward to reviewing more
Thank you, Christina for giving one of my recipes a try! I am happy it made the cut for your husband and your 12-year-old.
I printed this out long ago when I had a bag of Freekeh to use up and somehow never got around to making it. I made it tonight with Farro. SO GOOD!! The only garnish I used was feta. I was never a big cauliflower fan but your recipes have changed that. Now I pick up two large heads a week! The soup from your book is amazing. As is the Roasted Cauliflower, Farro, and Arugula Salad with Lemony Tahini Dressing. I get a lot of questions in the staff room about my lunches and most of the time the answer is: Cookie and Kate!! Today a co-worker told me she asked for your book for Christmas! So happy to point people to amazing whole food recipes. Thanks Kate!
That’s great! Thank you, Heather for sharing the love and for your support. I appreciate the review! Happy cooking. :)
This was sooooo yummy!! We had it with cous cous as couldn’t get hold of freekeh, and I was worried it might be dry but the cauliflower is so juicy and tasty. We ate this as part of ‘making more vegan choices’ and if all vegan food is as good as this, I’m sold.
Love that! Thanks, Charlotte for your review.
Delicious! Made the recipe with Kasha as I didn’t have freekeh, and it was amazing. I’ll do it again for sure!
Thanks for sharing, Janie!
Fantastic recipe! I’ve never cooked with Freekeh before! Subbed in an onion and swapped almonds for cashews. It tastes delicious! Love the garlic tahini dressing too! Simple, tasty and wholesome! Thank you!
Thanks, Stephanie for sharing how you made this your own. I really appreciate the review!
Mmmm, I should have made this sooner it was so good. I could not find freekeh so I used farro. Don’t forget to add some raisins they were key. I wish there were leftovers both but we ate it all as a main dish. Did not use the feta to keep it vegan. I used one cup of farro and a medium cauliflower. Next time I will use larger portions as I was hoping to have leftovers for lunch. My husband said he wanted me to make this again and I’m happy to do so. Thank you!
I’m glad you made it, Heather! Sounds like a great idea to make the portions go a little farther. Thanks for the review.
I just made this. My husband and I loved it. My local store had freekeh, which I was shocked by! It’s definitely very filling, I felt full after half of my bowl. Like others have said, I’d increase the cauliflower and be extra generous with the red pepper flakes.
Mine turned out slightly saltier than I would have liked–next time I’ll put less salt in the tahini.
Thanks for sharing, Natalie. Yes, reduce the salt if you like. I appreciate the review!
I was at the Bob’s Red Mill store in Portland last week and picked up a variety of ancient grains–this was my first time cooking with freekah and I am SO glad I chose your recipe. I made the recipe exactly (no feta) and it was AMAZING. Can’t wait to order more and make this again! Thank you for making freekah and garlic tahini sauce a staple in my home.
You’re welcome, Hannah! Thanks for your review.
Even though your recipe has been around a few years I only made it a few nights ago and just loved it. I was looking for a cauliflower recipe and since I recently also purchased a recipe book to support Syrian women, had the freekeh on hand. The leftovers were just as good the next day. Definitely going to make this again. Thanks Kate!
Thank you for trying the recipe and for your review, Cynthia! I appreciate it.
This is the tastiest new meal I’ve made in a very long time! Oh my goodness I can’t even tell you how much I loved it! Made exactly according to the recipe (except no raisins). The combination of the freekeh, the cauliflower and the tahini dressing is amazing. I will be making this often. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you loved this one, Dom! Thanks so much for sharing.
I work at a grains stand at our farmers market and every month I try a new grain. This freekah recipe is a real standout ! I took it to a huge covered dish party ( 200 people) at my gym. Everybody loved it and the trainers all stole the recipe; there were no leftovers. However I saved out a portion, back at home, because I followed the directions to assemble it just before serving. Truly the leftovers are as good if not better than the first serving! I got my tahini from the MiddleEastern stand next to our grains. All in all i am eager to try the recipe with our black barley and other grains. I took a nice photo but I dont have Instagram. Its on my facebook page, where it got notice too. I am gifting the recipe along with a pretty container of frekeah to my most discriminating culinary friends and relatives.
That’s so great to hear, Roberta! Thanks for sharing Cookie + Kate with your customers! I appreciate your comment and review.
That was a really nice recipe and easy to make. I didn’t find freekeh on its own but found a mix of freekeh, lentils and beans and it turned delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Maria.
I have your cookbook (love it) but I’ve been checking out the site for additional recipes. Once again, I’m an extremely rare commenter but I feel compelled to say how much I appreciate this recipe. I had to substitute with farro but this is a winner. Thank you!
Thank you for your support and comment, Sandy! I’m happy you are enjoying both my cookbook and blog.
About to make this recipe for the second time as it was such a success.
Great recipe. First time using Freekeh. The garlicky tahini sauce is fabulous.
I love it! Thanks for your review, Diana.
What an amazing combination of flavours and textures! Thank you for this recipe. Since we started eating only plant based foods 2 years ago, we have made the acquaintance of so many new whole grains. But freekeh!!! How did it take us so long to meet!! Love it. Great recipe Kate :)
OMG! This is ahmazing!!! I was a little hesitant to make it because I’ve never had freekah, but it is so worth trying!
why so many carbs in this delicious sounding recipe?? is it just the freekeh? i still hope to make this recipe, even though i’m trying to have a maximum of 50 gr a day of carbs as per a weightloss diet!
Hi Karen, You can change it up as you like to meet your requirements. More on my nutritional information here: https://capital-fly.pro/nutrition-disclaimer/%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E
Made this recipe, as described, and it was phenomenal! I discovered your site a few weeks ago and have made this recipe plus your kale and farro salad with dried cherries and your roasted carrot soup. I’ve really enjoyed all three recipes very much and so has my husband. Thank you for sharing your recipes and giving us healthy, easy and tasty options to cook at home. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes! – Sammy-J from Toronto, Canada.
Delicious recipe. The roasted cauliflower and tahini sauce worked well with the earthiness if the freekeh. But I found it called for WAY too much liquid for the whole freekeh grain that I had. I ended up cooking it for an extra 20 min. Next time I will reduce the stock to 2 cups and cook at lower temperature. Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!!!
I did add some homemade houmous and toasted seeds to add to it for extra mmmmm……
Just want to say how delicious this meal was! My husband is a big meat eater and proclaimed “I could eat this every night!” He loved it and so did I. Thanks!
This is so super quick and easy and tastes amazing! My husband who is a meat eater said he could eat it every night. This is our second time in two weeks.
This was just excellent. As suggested, sprinkled some toasted almonds on top. YUM!
My daughter made this dish for dinner for me.
I am mostly vegan occasionally pescatarian.
She grounded the almonds instead of whole so my almost 2 yr old granddaughter could it it. She loved it as much as us adults.
It was a delicious recipe that I can also add my own touch to as well!
Just made this exactly as written and it was delicious! I bought freekeh on a whim because I had eaten it before but wasn’t sure what to do with it. This was easy and super delicious and I bet can be adapted in a million ways with different veggies!
I tried Freekeh for the first time ever and I used your recipe and boy was it incredible! Now we try to have it every other week! Amazing recipe, thanks!
Fantastic! All the flavours very much complimented each other.
Thanks!
I’m happy you think so, Heather! I appreciate your review.
Fantastic recipe, made it as a Christmas side dish. It was very easy, satisfying, and even my meat-eating family was surprisingly delighted.
That’s great to hear! I appreciate your review.
This was delicious!!!! I added a swirl of honey to the sauce for my husbands palate. We loved it. Thanks!
I’m glad it was a hit, Virginia! I appreciate your review.
I was looking for a freekah recipe and found this one on a random google search. I wasn’t familiar with this blog, so I was a little dubious but there aren’t enough freekah recipes available for me to be choosey.
I am glad i took the chance. It was entirely scrumptious, and my family agreed. I added caraway seeds to the roasted cauliflower, because i like them.
I will make this again and again.
I’m glad you took the chance too! Thank you for your review.