I'm finishing up my series on ancient grains with a buckwheat salad. Buckwheat, because of its name, is sometimes confusing to people.
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Buckwheat is not Wheat
The buckwheat groat isn't actually a grain. In fact, buckwheat has no relation to wheat at all. It's really a seed, and the plant is a relative of rhubarb. However, it is very similar to a grain, so it usually gets included in that category.
Buckwheat is ideally suited for gluten-free diets and is often milled into flour. Japanese soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, and you have probably had buckwheat pancakes at some point. Personally, I love buckwheat groats as a hot breakfast cereal mixed with oats, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. (Serious breakfast yum)
Buckwheat is Still an ancient grain
Like other ancient grains, buckwheat cultivation dates back to ancient times. It's been a staple in many cultures over the ages and grows all over the world, from Asia, the Middle East, Russia, and Eastern Europe, to North and South America. Most people, throughout the world, have access to it, locally. And that's a wonderful thing. Also, It's a fast-growing crop and very disease resistant, so farmers don't have to use pesticides and other chemicals. This makes it a very sustainable food crop, for the world.
Why We Need Buckwheat in our Diets
This "grain" is packed with nutrients, and it's also high in fiber and is a complete protein. Not bad for a humble seed, right? Also, some research says that this humble seed can be helpful for people with diabetes in keeping blood sugar levels healthy. For more on that, as well as other health benefits of this dynamo seed, check out Buckwheat May Help Manage Diabetes on WebMD.
Why You Will Love This Mediterannean Buckwheat Salad
I love the flavours of the Mediterranean, especially in salads, like Mediterranean Lentil Salad, or Greek Pasta Salad.
I'm using the hulled seed, or groats, in this Mediterranean buckwheat salad. They cook quickly, unlike many other grains, and have a delicious toasty flavour, which is a great backdrop for the vegetables in this salad. The cooked groats are very light and fluffy in comparison to the denseness of many other grains. They have a great texture, and you can substitute buckwheat for rice in any dish. And, buckwheat cooks faster than rice, and has quadruple the nutrition, so why wouldn't you?
You can serve this buckwheat salad as a side dish, but it's hearty enough for the main, too. The protein content makes it a meal in itself.
Try More Ancient Grains
I hope you enjoyed my exploration of only just a handful of the incredible variety of ancient grains. If you haven't been following along, you can check out the other recipes here: Farro Risotto with Winter Squash; Broccoli Bulgur Pilaf; and Mushroom Barley Soup. And try more hearty salads, like Southwestern Quinoa Salad, or Sweet Potato Quinoa Chickpea Salad.
What are you cooking with grains? I love to hear your comments, ideas, and thoughts!
More Buckwheat
Experiment more with buckwheat! Here are a few more delicious recipes to check out:
- Delicious Buckwheat Salad with California Prunes
- Comforting Buckwheat Soup with Turkey, Sweet Potato & Kale
- Easy Buckwheat Pancakes
- Healthy Butternut Buckwheat SaladÂ
Recipe
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Mediterranean Buckwheat Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup buckwheat groats
- 1.25 cups water
- ½ cup red onion diced
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives
- 1 yellow or orange bell pepper seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Juice of one lemon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese optional
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring buckwheat and water to a boil
- Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes
- Remove from heat and let stand covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool
- Combine cooled groats with tomato, cucumber, olives, and bell pepper in a salad bowl
- in a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and oregano
- Pour dressing on the salad and toss to combine
- Garnish with parsley and feta cheese, if using
Sarah
How many days in advance do you think you could make this before serving (and store in the fridge, of course)?
Colleen
Hi Sarah. Thanks for this question. You can keep this salad in the fridge for about 5 days, if you don't use any feta cheese. It's great for meal prep!
Sarah
Thanks! I knew it would be good for a bit but wasn’t sure how long. Thanks again.
kim obrien
Love this recipe. I also added a twist where I dry pan fry the buckwheat and add at the last minute.
Colleen
Hi Kim! I love your twist! This is a fave salad, so I am definitely trying your pan frying tweak next time. Thank you so much for sharing!
Colleen
Hi Kim, I'm glad you love this recipe! Thanks for sharing your twist, it sounds just how we cook rice, so of course, why not buckwheat. I will try this next time. Thanks so much for sharing!
Mary
This sounds lovely. I was wondering if I could cook the buckwheat in veg stock to add more flavour? I’m making it for my teens packed lunch. Thanks
Colleen
Hi Mary. Yes, the vegetable stock is a great idea and always adds more flavour for cooking grains. I hope your teen loves this for their lunch. This is a favourite at our house and on the site. Cheers!
Alicia Spelfogel
Hey how much is a serving? It says 1 gram but obviously that's not correct lol. Just checking!
Colleen
Hi Alicia, thanks for that question. One serving is about 1 cup of salad, and I have corrected that in the recipe card.
Sam
This is great! Really basic dressing which tastes beautiful, I added grated raw beetroot to my salad which made it a lovely colour. My only tip would be to add a bit of Pepper 😊
Colleen
Hi Sam, so happy that you like this delicious salad, and so cool that you put your own twist on it. To me, that's what recipes are all about. Cheers!
Jacqui
Can I make ahead of time & refrigerate for a few hours w dressing?
Colleen
Absolutely, Jacqui! Enjoy 🙂
Markus Mueller
What a great salad idea! I love salads that don't always use leafy greens, just something to switch it up once in a while! Using the Mediterranean theme helps make it more familiar as well! I must try this soon.!
Colleen
Thanks Markus! I love grains in a winter salad, too. It's very hearty and satisfying when we're trying to stay warm. 🙂
Amanda (Peppers & Pennies)
Dishes like this make me wish that my husband ate olives! I love love buckwheat, but always fail to think (or find) unique salads and entrees. Thank you for this inspirational dish!
Colleen
You're welcome, Amanda. I feel that exact same way about eggplant. My husband won't eat it, but I love it. You can leave out the olives in this salad, though. A great replacement could be pickled artichokes, or capers.
Shauna
You know, I've only ever cooked with buckwheat flour, so this is something I definitely need to try. I love these kinds of salads for lunch!
Colleen
Thanks, Shauna! I was so impressed with how light and tasty the buckwheat grouts turned out. You should for sure give them a try! 🙂