Have you ever tried sorghum? It's perfect for making a gluten-free salad with grains. This simple sorghum salad is made with summer fresh tomatoes, balsamic and fresh basil is full of bright, tangy flavor and works great to make ahead for an easy lunch during the week.
Recipe: $2.90 | Per Serving: $1.45 | Yield: 2
This Sorghum Salad was originally published in September of 2014. It has been recently updated with new photos and minor alterations to the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
This gluten-free grain salad sprung up from an effort to use up ingredients I had on hand. I had some cooked sorghum in the fridge and a bazillion heirloom tomatoes from my CSA box that I needed to use up.
Recently I've become obsessed with grain salads. I don't know why I used to shy away from them so much. They're super filling.
I don't really know how to name this dish either. Balsamic Grain Salad? Heirloom Tomatoes Are so Pretty Salad?
Basically, you just need really quality tomatoes, balsamic, and basil. Then add your choice of greens and grains. Simple, filling, and super delicious.
If you're looking for more gluten-free salads, try this warm butternut squash salad and this quinoa and black bean salad.
What is Sorghum?
Sorghum is a grain, derived from cereal grass. In the United States, it is mostly used to feed animals but in other parts of the world, it is a vital crop to feed humans.
In cooking, it is most commonly used to make porridge, bread, and snacks. It is also used to make a type of molasses.
This small, round grain that's usually white or pale yellow is packed with nutrition. This low-fat, high-protein, high-fiber grain is a good source of a wide range of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin B1, vitamin B6, magnesium, and iron to name a few
Ingredients
Here's a brief overview of what goes into making this gluten-free salad with sorghum.
- Cooked sorghum: You can also use quinoa or brown rice which are also gluten-free. Or use farro, barley, or wheatberries if you are able to eat gluten.
- Olive oil: For salads use extra virgin olive oil. This healthy oil tastes the best.
- Garlic: For salads and uncooked dishes, fresh cloves of garlic give the best flavor.
- Tomatoes: Use super ripe and awesome tomatoes (heirloom if you can!)
- Balsamic vinegar: The sour, sweet flavor of balsamic is more complex than other kinds of vinegar, and highly recommend using it. In a pinch, you can use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Fresh basil: Just like the garlic, fresh basil is essential to the flavor of this gluten-free salad.
- Fresh greens: You can use any you enjoy (I love arugula!) such as spinach, kale, arugula, or mixed baby greens.
- Fresh parmesan cheese: Adds the perfect salty umami flavor to the top of this easy salad.
How to Cook Sorghum
If you don't have sorghum cooked to make your salad, here's how to prepare it.
- Add ½ cup sorghum to a pot with about 1 cup of water or broth.
- Cook covered for 25-40 minutes or until it's tender.
- Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes with the lid on (you can check for extra water and drain it off if necessary).
- Drain off any excess water and it is ready!
How to Make a Gluten-Free Salad with Sorghum
- Prepare your sorghum according to the above directions or according to the package directions.
- Warm the olive oil over low heat in a medium pot. Grate or mince the garlic and add to the oil. Cook for about one minute, stirring. Make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Cut your tomatoes into wedges or bite-sized chunks. Add to pot and remove from heat. Stir well and let the tomatoes absorb the flavor of the garlic.
- Add the cooled sorghum to the pot and stir well. Add the balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. You can mix the greens into the salad or place them on a plate and serve the sorghum salad on top.
- Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Use ripe tomatoes. They don't have to be fancy (though heirlooms are great!) but they do need to be ripe.
- Cook the sorghum ahead of time. That way It's perfectly ready to make the salad.
- Want it vegetarian or vegan? Skip the parmesan cheese!
- Make ahead. It's perfect for meal prep! Just keep the greens separate until just before serving.
Sorghum is similar to other grains so you can pair it with ingredients used with them! Asparagus, carrots, cheese, garlic, mushrooms, nuts, onions, tomatoes, and vinegar are all some of my favorites. To make porridge or sweet bread, it works with apples, raisins, walnuts, and warming spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.
More Gluten Free Recipes
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Basil-Balsamic Sorghum & Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups cooked sorghum; or about ½ cup uncooked
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 super ripe & awesome tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2-4 cups fresh greens arugula!
- ¼ cup fresh basil sliced
- fresh parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- If you don’t have cooked sorghum, start by cooking ½ cup dry sorghum in about 1 cup water. Then set aside to cool.
- In a small or medium pot, warm the oil over low heat. Grate or mince the garlic and add to the oil. Cook for about one minute, stirring. It should get fragrant and perhaps sizzle a bit, but we don't want to add any color. Remove from heat immediately.
- Cut your tomatoes into wedges or bite-sized chunks. Combine tomatoes with warm garlic olive oil. Stir well and let the tomatoes absorb some of the garlic flavor. (😋)
- Add cooked & cooled sorghum and stir well. (Alternatively, you can use warm sorghum and serve this as a warm / room temperature salad.)
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. You can mix in the greens now, or plate the greens (2 servings) and add the sorghum-tomato mixture to the top.
- Top with 1-2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese and sliced and serve!
Notes
- Use ripe tomatoes. They don't have to be fancy (though heirlooms are great!) but they do need to be ripe.
- Cook the sorghum ahead of time. That way It's perfectly ready to make the salad.
- Want it vegetarian or vegan? Skip the parmesan cheese!
- Make ahead. It's perfect for meal prep! Just keep the greens and basil separate until just before serving.
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