This Millet Salad features Za’atar which is a flavourful Middle Eastern spice blend that adds a beautiful aroma to this ancient seed along with the green beans just superb with the lime and coconut oil.
This millet salad was a last minute vegan addition for a girly lunch as a Vegan friend decided to join us at the last minute ?
I had a quick look in my pantry and saw millet leftover from a recent gift basket. I knew I had some fresh green beans in the fridge (from a friends garden). I always keep Za’atar on hand to liven things up and with an abundance of fresh thyme growing in the garden this aromatic salad was brought to life.
The only thing left to do was to figure out how to cook the millet!
What the heck is millet?
Millet is a seeded grass plant that is widely grown as a cereal crop and it is naturally gluten-free. It is small yellow round grain with a subtle, slightly nutty flavour, (think of it as a gluten-free alternative to couscous).
Millet can be easily cooked two ways – light and fluffy or creamy. For a nice toasty flavour toast your millet in a dry pan before cooking or it is also nice to add as a crunchy element for other salads.
How to cook millet
- Heat a medium saucepan (medium-high heat) and add your millet and toast until golden (approximately 2-3 minutes. Stir it continuously so that it toasts evenly, you will hear the millet crackling (this is a sign of freshness).
- Add 2 cups of water to your millet, stir it and allow it to come to a rolling boil *. Turn the heat down, put the lid on your saucepan and simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes until it is soft but still separate. Take it off the heat.
- Drain it and fluff it with a fork.
- For a creamier consistency increase the ratio to 1 part millet to 3 parts water
*A rolling boil is a vigorous state of maintained boiling in which large bubbles erupt continuously on the surface of the liquid and cannot be disrupted by stirring or adding ingredients. Clouds of steam roll off the surface of the water and the boil is audible.
Tips for cooking millet
- I like this salad best warm as this is when millet tastes its best.
- Spend the extra time it takes to toast the millet as I feel like the grains cook a bit more evenly, and clump less when toasted.
Tips for crunchy fresh beans
- Roast in a hot oven 230C/450F.
- Make sure your green beans are completely dry
- Use enough oil to coat the beans
- Do not overcrowd your pan, spread them out in a single layer on your tray so they have the opportunity to brown
Tips for crunchy frozen beans
- Roast in a hot oven 230C/450F.
- Make sure you rinse your beans under cold water and dry them thoroughly as the melted water will prevent them from roasting well and browning.
- Use enough oil to coat the beans
- Do not overcrowd your pan, spread them out in a single layer on your tray so they have the opportunity to brown
Serving ideas for Millet Salad
This salad pairs well with red meats, chicken and even seafood. A great salad to serve alongside an aromatic tagine or a vegetable curry. Some recipe ideas to try it with:
Recipe substitutions
- Use any beans that take your fancy – green beans, snake beans, flat beans even snow peas or sugar snap peas will be good. For peas sauté instead of roasting them in the oven, they are tastier this way and will cook faster.
- Don’t have Za’atar then just add some extra thyme and sesame seeds instead.
- Use any grain that you have to hand bulgur, quinoa and freekeh will also be great in this salad, just cook each grain as necessary.
Some grain salad recipes that might take your fancy:
(Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level)
Ingredients
- 600 grams green beans 1 (fresh or frozen)
- 3 tbsps coconut oil
- 2 tbsps Za’atar
- 1 red onion (diced)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp Za’atar 2
- 1 cup millet
- tbsps Lime zest (approximately 2 limes)
- ⅓ cup lime juice (approximately 3 large limes)
- 3 tbsps coconut oil (melted)
- Thyme sprigs
Instructions
To make your green beans…
- Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F).
- Wash your beans, top, tail them, remove the strings and cut into 2.5cm (1-inch batons).
- Place the beans, coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of Za’atar in a large oven tray and mix until the beans are well coated with the spice mixture. Cook until golden (approximately 20-30 minutes).
To make your millet…
- In the meantime, heat a medium saucepan (medium-high heat) and add your millet and toast until golden (approximately 2-3 minutes). Stir it continuously so that it toasts evenly, you will hear the millet crackling (this is a sign of freshness). Add 2 cups of water to your millet, stir it and allow it to come to a rolling boil 3. Turn the heat down, put the lid on your saucepan and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Take it off the heat. drain if necessary and fluff with a fork.
- Heat a large deep frying pan, add the coconut oil until hot then add the onion and cook until translucent, then add the Za’atar until aromatic. Add the millet and stir until it is well coated with the spice and onion mixture. Leave on the side until cool.
Putting it together…
- Add all the dressing ingredients in a small food processor and blitz until combined
- In a large mixing bowl place the millet mixture, the beans and the dressing, then stir well until combined.
- Arrange the millet and bean mixture in a salad platter and scatter the thyme sprigs on top to garnish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can also use frozen green beans for this recipe, just make sure that you defrost, rinse, drain them well and pat them dry.
- A middle Eastern spice blend, you will either find it in the spice section or ethnic food section at most larger supermarkets. Alternatively, pay a visit to a middle eastern speciality story.
- A rolling boil is a vigorous state of maintained boiling in which large bubbles erupt continuously on the surface of the liquid and cannot be disrupted by stirring or adding ingredients. Clouds of steam roll off the surface of the water and the boil is audible.
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