Mediterranean Kamut Salad

Have you ever tried kamut before?

During my usual morning internet browsing last week I came across an article about healthy ingredients everyone should be eating this year.

While I had heard of some of these ingredients, there were others that were foreign to me. Kamut was one of them.

If you are bored with plain wheat, kamut might be the cure. Otherwise known as Khoresan wheat or Oriental wheat, kamut contains 30% more protein than regular wheat. It is also high in B vitamins and manganese, which is known for protein and amino acid utilization.

While I had to do some searching to find kamut in a grocery store (Bob’s Red Mill sells it at Whole Foods Market, but it is also found online via online retailers), there are a myriad of fun recipes online that inspired me to play with this chewy, hearty, trendy grain.

You could make this Mediterranean inspired dish with brown rice or farro if you chose. You can also use quinoa if you want this dish to be gluten-free. For more protein, adding grilled chicken, ground turkey or tofu would also be delicious.

A healthy and hearty ancient grain mixed with a Mediterranean twist. Perfect for an add on to any meal and keeps well in the refrigerator for at least 5 days.

1 cup kamut (cooked according to package)
1/3 cup onion (diced)
1 zucchini squash (diced)
1 red bell pepper (de-seeded and diced)
1/2 cup kalamata olives (chopped)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup currants

Dressing

3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Cook the kamut according to the package directions. When it's finished cooking, drain any excess liquid and let the cooked grains cool before adding the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked kamut, zucchini, onion, bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes and currants.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, dijon, salt, pepper, balsamic and olive oil. Whisk the mixture to emulsify. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Mediterranean Kamut Salad