African Millet Salad with Coconut Berbere Dressing

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2 min read
Summary

African Millet Salad with Coconut Berbere Dressing is a colorful, nutrient-rich dish that showcases the diverse flavors of Africa. It features organic millet as a base, enhanced with a homemade berbere spice blend — a fiery, aromatic mix of spices including coriander, cumin, cardamom, fenugreek, and chili powder. This salad is further enriched with roasted onions and sweet potatoes, green peas, and kale, offering a variety of textures and flavors. The coconut milk dressing, infused with the berbere spices and finished with fresh cilantro, adds a creamy, spicy kick. This dish is a celebration of African culinary traditions, blending the wholesomeness of millet with the vibrant tastes of the continent’s spices and vegetables.

Yields4 ServingsPrep Time20 minsCook Time25 minsTotal Time45 mins

Ingredients

Millet
 1 cup organic millet (dry, soaked in water for 4–6 hours or overnight and rinsed)
 2 cups water
 1 cup vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
Berbere Spice Blend
 ½ tsp coriander seed
 ½ tsp cumin seed
 2 cardamom pods
 ¼ tsp fenugreek seed
  tsp peppercorns
 1 tbsp chili powder
 1 tbsp sweet paprika
 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
 ¼ tsp garlic powder
 ¼ tsp ground ginger
  tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  tsp allspice
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
Onions and Sweet Potatoes
 1 cup yellow onion (diced)
 1 cup sweet potato (diced)
 ¼ cup vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
 ½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
 2 cups organic kale (or leafy green of choice, chopped)
Dressing
 ¾ cup coconut milk (light, BPA-free canned)
 3 tsp berbere spice mix
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
 ¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional)
 ¼ cup cilantro (optional; chopped)

Directions

1

Cook the millet: Heat a large stovetop pot on medium-high and add the millet, 2 cups of water and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Heat until boiling.

2

Once boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20–25 minutes until the millet is tender (check halfway through to see if more water or vegetable broth is needed).

3

Meanwhile, make the berbere seasoning: Heat the coriander seed, cumin seed, cardamom, fenugreek, and peppercorn on medium heat in a medium stovetop pan until fragrant (about 2–3 minutes), tossing often to prevent burning.

4

Once finished toasting, grind the spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

5

Add the toasted ground spices and remaining berbere spices to a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

6

Make the onions and sweet potatoes: Heat a large stovetop pan on high heat. Add the onion and continuously stir to cook the onion until translucent and slightly browned (about 2–3 minutes).

7

Stir in the sweet potatoes.

8

Add ¼ cup vegetable broth to deglaze the pan and finish cooking the sweet potatoes, about 5–7 minutes. It might be necessary to add more water or vegetable broth if the pan gets dry before the sweet potatoes are tender. Add either as needed.

9

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the peas and 1 teaspoon of the berbere seasoning. Mix well. Cook until the peas are warm (about 1–2 minutes).

10

Make your dressing: To a medium bowl, add the coconut milk and berbere seasoning. Stir well.

11

Assemble your salad: To a large bowl add 3 cups of millet, sweet potato/pea/onion mixture, and kale. Stir in the dressing. Mix well.

12

Top with additional salt and pepper as desired.

13

Add cilantro, if using.

Chef’s Notes

Substitutions
In place of millet use another organic whole grain of your choice such as farro, buckwheat, teff, or quinoa.

Instead of yellow onion, feel free to use red or white onion, or shallots.

Substitute vegetables you have on hand for peas and kale.

Prep ahead
Make the millet ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for 5–7 days or the freezer for up to 30 days.

Make the spice blend ahead of time and store in a glass jar in a cool, dark cabinet for up to three months.

Make the dressing ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Varying the berbere spice mix
Before you add the berbere spice mix to the onion and potato mixture, as well as the coconut milk for the dressing, taste it to see if you prefer more of any spice that’s on the ingredient list.

Add more nutrition and deliciousness
Top the salad with a handful of nuts or seeds.

Add more herbs like chives or parsley.

Sprinkle with smoked paprika.

Squeeze lemon or lime juice on top.

Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

4 servings

Serving size

258g


Amount per serving
Calories300
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g7%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 80mg4%
Total Carbohydrate 54g20%
Dietary Fiber 8g29%
Total Sugars 4g
Includes 0g Added Sugars0%
Protein 7g

Calcium 60mg5%
Iron 2.6mg15%
Potassium 440mg10%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Ingredients

Millet
 1 cup organic millet (dry, soaked in water for 4–6 hours or overnight and rinsed)
 2 cups water
 1 cup vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
Berbere Spice Blend
 ½ tsp coriander seed
 ½ tsp cumin seed
 2 cardamom pods
 ¼ tsp fenugreek seed
  tsp peppercorns
 1 tbsp chili powder
 1 tbsp sweet paprika
 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
 ¼ tsp garlic powder
 ¼ tsp ground ginger
  tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
  tsp allspice
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
Onions and Sweet Potatoes
 1 cup yellow onion (diced)
 1 cup sweet potato (diced)
 ¼ cup vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
 ½ cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
 2 cups organic kale (or leafy green of choice, chopped)
Dressing
 ¾ cup coconut milk (light, BPA-free canned)
 3 tsp berbere spice mix
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
 ¼ tsp ground black pepper (optional)
 ¼ cup cilantro (optional; chopped)

Directions

1

Cook the millet: Heat a large stovetop pot on medium-high and add the millet, 2 cups of water and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Heat until boiling.

2

Once boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20–25 minutes until the millet is tender (check halfway through to see if more water or vegetable broth is needed).

3

Meanwhile, make the berbere seasoning: Heat the coriander seed, cumin seed, cardamom, fenugreek, and peppercorn on medium heat in a medium stovetop pan until fragrant (about 2–3 minutes), tossing often to prevent burning.

4

Once finished toasting, grind the spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

5

Add the toasted ground spices and remaining berbere spices to a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

6

Make the onions and sweet potatoes: Heat a large stovetop pan on high heat. Add the onion and continuously stir to cook the onion until translucent and slightly browned (about 2–3 minutes).

7

Stir in the sweet potatoes.

8

Add ¼ cup vegetable broth to deglaze the pan and finish cooking the sweet potatoes, about 5–7 minutes. It might be necessary to add more water or vegetable broth if the pan gets dry before the sweet potatoes are tender. Add either as needed.

9

Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the peas and 1 teaspoon of the berbere seasoning. Mix well. Cook until the peas are warm (about 1–2 minutes).

10

Make your dressing: To a medium bowl, add the coconut milk and berbere seasoning. Stir well.

11

Assemble your salad: To a large bowl add 3 cups of millet, sweet potato/pea/onion mixture, and kale. Stir in the dressing. Mix well.

12

Top with additional salt and pepper as desired.

13

Add cilantro, if using.

Notes

African Millet Salad with Coconut Berbere Dressing
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