Chicken & freekeh chopped salad

Ingredients

200g freekeh

3 tbsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove crushed

4 asparagus

 spears, chopped

juice ½ lemon

4 spring onions

, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

½ cucumber, chopped

1 avocado

 cubed

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

6 radishes

, halved (smaller ones left whole)

½ small pack flat-leaf parsley, chopped

½ small pack basil

, chopped

½ small pack mint

, chopped

150g leftover roast chicken

, chopped

salsa verde (see recipe, right)

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Soak the freekeh in cold water for 5 mins, then drain and rinse again under the tap. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a deep saucepan, add the bay leaf, garlic and freekeh , and toast, stirring vigorously, for 1 min or so.
2. Fill the pan with boiling water, add a generous pinch of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 mins until tender. Add the asparagus for the final 4 mins. Drain and leave to cool. (To speed the cooling, spread out the freekeh on a baking tray. )
3. Once cooled, put the freekeh in a large mixing bowl. Season and combine with the remaining oil and all the other ingredients, topping with the salsa verde and toasted pine nuts to serve.