Millet Salad with Greens
on Apr 26, 2024
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With its mild, corn-like flavor and great texture, millet is a great gluten-free grain to get to know. This green salad is a perfect place to begin.
In the infinitely pleasurable quest to explore the world of whole grains, millet got to the top of the list. I love its mild, slightly corn-like flavor and its light crunch even when cooked (though with more time and more liquid, it can become much softer if that’s the desired texture). It definitely doesn’t get the kind of attention that other grains (like quinoa and bulgur wheat) get…but it definitely deserves more love.
This healthy millet salad recipe is so satisfying, with a chewy toothsomeness from the millet and loads of green from the arugula, basil, and asparagus. The surprise pop of flavor comes from dried cherries, which are my favorite dried fruit.
Try pairing this cold millet salad with Imam Biyali (Turkish Stuffed Eggplants) for a little vegetarian feast. Or serve it with a simple protein like Baked Chicken Breasts or Air Fryer Salmon for a healthy meal.
Table of Contents
The asparagus is just barely blanched (which means quick-cooked in boiling water, then quickly rinsed or dunked in cold water to stop the cooking). This allows it to keep its crunch. It’s sliced pretty small, so it can blend in with the millet, but keep the tips of the asparagus whole because that looks awesome.
The dressing is rich and tangy with sherry or red wine vinegar and Dijon. You can serve this Millet and Greens Salad up as a side, but because millet has so much to offer it also can serve as a vegetarian main course. And I do love me a good side that doubles as a center stage dish for the vegetarians in my world (and I have a lot of vegetarians in my world — my sister, my mom, my niece, and a large smattering of friends).
With its mild, corn-like flavor and great texture, millet is a great gluten-free grain to get to know. Try it in this Millet and Greens Salad recipe.
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What Is Millet?
Millet is an ancient grain gluten-free grain from the Far East (Northern China, to be specific) and Africa. Millet has a mild flavor and cooks up quickly, making it a tasty, convenient whole grain to think about for meals all throughout the day.
Greens and Grains Salads
For the past many years, I have been loving the idea of combining cooked whole grains and a variety of leafy vegetables with other cooked vegetables and often some dried fruit or crumbled cheese. This kind of combination makes a hefty salad that is great for lunch or dinner, as a main course, or a side dish. You may have noticed a salad or two (or 10) like this on the blog.
And, of course, if you cook the grains in vegetable broth or water, you have a vegetarian dish. This is great when you want to make sure a meal has some substantial vegetarian offering that can double as a side dish or share the plate as a main.
Millet Salad with Greens Ingredients
- Asparagus – Cut into 2-inch pieces. Peel the bottom of the stalks before slicing them if the skin is thick.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sherry or red wine vinegar – Sherry vinegar is a great choice here, but red wine vinegar will do if that’s what you have available.
- Onion
- Dijon mustard – Adds a nice kick to the dressing.
- Baby arugula – You can use larger, more mature arugula, but make sure it’s not overly peppery.
- Basil leaves – Chiffonade (finely sliver) fresh basil leaves so they blend in with the arugula.
- Dried cherries – Yeah, they are a bit pricey, but I just adore their sweet-tart flavor and the bigger chew (bigger than dried cranberries). But play with other dried fruits, chopping them up if they are larger than nibble size.
- Cooked millet – Below, you’ll find basic instructions for preparing the millet for this salad. For more details, read How to Cook Perfect Millet on the Stove.
How to Cook Millet
Like most grains, before cooking millet, rinse it thoroughly under running water and then remove any dirt or debris that you may find.
The general guideline for cooking is to add 1 part millet to 2 1/2 parts liquid, either broth or water. Bring the millet and liquid to a boil in a pot, turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes to get a fluffy-rice-like textured millet.
To impart a nuttier flavor to the grain, before you combine it with the liquid, place the grains in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir them frequently to toast them. When they turn golden, after about 2 minutes, add them to the boiling cooking liquid.
How to Make Millet Salad With Greens
- Blanch the asparagus: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add the salt and asparagus, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, onions, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Toss the salad: Add the cooled asparagus, arugula, basil, cherries, and millet, and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.
Variations
- Add in some toasted dried pine nuts, slivered almonds, pepitas, or sunflower seeds for crunch.
- Use other dried fruits in place of the dried cherries (or skip the dried fruit altogether).
- If using all arugula is too intense for you, sub out half of the romaine for shredded romaine lettuce.
FAQs
Millet can easily be substituted for rice or barley in soups and stews.
You’ll get about 3 to 3 1/2 cups of cooked millet for every cup of raw millet.
In general, soaking grains makes them more digestible and allows them to soften and cook faster. It’s not necessary, but it will get you a softer millet that cooks faster. Sometimes, as with this salad, a bit of firmness or even crunch is preferable, so taste the millet as it cooks.
If you want to slightly to slightly toast your millet before cooking, you can either do that while the millet is raw and unsoaked (see above), or after you soak and drain it.
Millet is rich in B vitamins, calcium, zinc, and iron. It has about 6 grams of protein and about 200 calories per cup of cooked millet, according to the USDA. It’s also gluten-free.
What to Serve With Millet and Greens Salad
More Grain Salad Recipes
If you like the greens and grains combo in this, try these:
- Tomato, Zucchini, and Bulgur Salad
- Vegetable and Brown Rice Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing
- Red Quinoa Salad with Arugula
- Artichoke Hearts and Olives
- Sesame-Honey Quinoa and Carrot Salad with Sliced Avocado
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Ingredients
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- 2 cups sliced asparagus (about 1/2–inch pieces; bottoms trimmed and peeled if necessary; leave the tips whole)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sherry or red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 4 cups baby arugula (or roughly chopped larger leaves)
- ½ cup slivered fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 2 cups cooked millet (cook according to package directions)
Instructions
- Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, add salt, and add the asparagus. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and preserve the green color.
- Whisk together the oil, vinegar, onions, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cooled asparagus, arugula, basil, cherries, and millet. Toss everything to combine with the dressing and serve at room temperature.
Notes
- Add in some toasted dried pine nuts, slivered almonds, pepitas, or sunflower seeds for crunch.
- Use other dried fruits in place of the dried cherries (or skip the dried fruit altogether).
- If using all arugula is too intense for you, sub out half of the romaine for shredded romaine lettuce.