Sorghum Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula
This light and healthy sorghum salad recipe features cherry tomatoes, arugula, and feta tossed in a lemony dressing. It's also gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on December 9, 2024
Have you tried sorghum yet? Bobโs Red Mill asked me to create an original recipe using one of their ancient grains, and I took it as an opportunity to try something new. Sorghum is a gluten-free pseudo-grain like millet and quinoa. Itโs actually a grass, but it cooks up like a grain. Itโs round like pearl couscous and a little chewy, like farro or wheat berries.
Iโve been using sorghum as a substitute in recipes that typically call for couscous (like tabouli), other small pasta shapes and whole grains like farro. It has been nice to offer my gluten-free friends something other than rice and quinoa. Bonus? My bag of sorghum cost only three dollars, which is significantly less than the same-sized bags of quinoa and rice.
I like to geek out on ingredients, so I thought Iโd share some of the more interesting facts Iโve learned about sorghum. Itโs one of those surprising โgrainsโ that doesnโt get much attention, even though itโs the fifth most important cereal crop in the world.
Sorghum first appeared near Egypt around 8000 years ago. It spread through Africa and, eventually, China via India. Itโs grown primarily for human consumption in Africa and parts of Asia, but in the United States, itโs grown for livestock consumption and ethanol production. I live in the state that produces the most sorghum of all, Kansas. Weโll probably hear more and more about sorghum as a crop since itโs particularly drought- resistant and requires less water than corn.
This recipe came to be after I got a hankering for sweet, roasted cherry tomatoes. Iโm really excited about tomato season, so much so that I planted a cherry tomato plant in my backyard this weekend (grow, tomatoes, grow!). Once roasted, the cherry tomatoes turn from sweet-and-tart gems into concentrated, sweet, saucy goodness.
I balanced the sweetness of the tomatoes with bitter arugula and added sorghum for substance. Salty feta, lemon and garlic round out this hearty and healthy, gluten-free salad. Sorghum is one of the more time-consuming grains to cook, so plan on having a pot on the stove for an hour, but the rest comes together quickly. As always, see my notes for substitution and storage suggestions!
How to Cook Sorghum
Youโll need three times as much water as sorghum. For example, if youโre cooking one cup of sorghum, youโll need three cups of water.
Rinse the sorghum well, then combine the sorghum and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook until the sorghum is pleasantly tender but still has some chew, about 55 to 65 minutes.
More Gluten-Free Salads to Enjoy
These salads are fresh and hearty. View all salads here.
- Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Chimichurri Chickpeas
- Favorite Broccoli Salad
- Favorite Quinoa Salad
- Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
- Seaweed Salad
Please let me know how your sorghum salad turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Sorghum Salad with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Arugula
A light and healthy sorghum salad featuring roasted cherry tomatoes, arugula and feta (optional) tossed in a lemony dressing. This salad is gluten free and vegan, if you skip the cheese. If youโd like to turn this salad into a full meal, add chickpeas for protein.
Ingredients
Sorghum
- 1 cup sorghum, rinsed in a fine mesh colander
- 3 cups water
Roasted cherry tomatoes
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt
Lemony dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ยผ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ยผ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Everything else
- 3 cups baby arugula*
- ยผ cup crumbled feta
- ยผ cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more feta)
- Optional: 1 can (14 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- First, cook the sorghum: Combine rinsed sorghum and three cups water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the sorghum is pleasantly tender but still has some chew to it, about 55 to 65 minutes. You can wait until the sorghum is halfway cooked before proceeding with the next steps.
- To roast the cherry tomatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Toss the whole cherry tomatoes with one tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Roast until the tomatoes are soft, plump and starting to burst open, about 18 minutes.
- To make the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper until emulsified.
- Once the sorghum is done cooking: Drain off any excess water and pour the cooked sorghum into a serving bowl. Pour in all of the dressing, all of the cherry tomatoes and their juices, the arugula*, feta, Parmesan and chickpeas (optional). Toss well and serve.
Notes
Make it vegan/dairy free: Omit the cheese.
*Storage suggestions: If you wonโt be serving all of the salad in one sitting, store the arugula separately from the rest of the salad and mix the arugula into the sorghum salad just when youโre ready to serve. The sorghum salad should keep well, covered and refrigerated with the arugula stored separately, for a couple of days. Serve cold or reheat the sorghum before tossing in the arugula.
Change it up: Feel free to substitute cooked pasta (penne, spirals or pearl couscous would be good) or another whole grain for the sorghum (farro, wheat berries, quinoa, millet).
Prepare in advance: You can pre-cook the sorghum and reheat it just before adding the roasted cherry tomatoes and everything else. I bet that extra sorghum would freeze well, if you want to make extra for later.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Bobโs Red Mill and I was compensated for recipe development. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cookie and Kate!
Iโve never seen sorghum for sale here but Iโm on a mission to track it down โ this salad sounds totally up my street.
Never heard of sorghum before, one hour is a long time to cook it! I wonder if it cooks well in a pressure cooker to reduce the time.
Good question, Farah! Iโm afraid I donโt have any experience with pressure cookers, but it just might work.
Iโve never tasted sorghum, but I definitely want to try it now! This salad looks great!
Looks and sounds so delicious and healthy! I love baked roast cherry tomatos with olive oil, pepper, salt and balsamic vinegar!
Iโve never tried sorghum, but it sounds pretty interesting! Good to know itโs inexpensive, that always helps. :) Iโll have to try this salad, I love roasted tomatoes.
You had me at roasted cherry tomatoes. And arugula. Yum! :)
Thank you Kate! Try as I might, I just donโt like quinoa so I have been looking for a โnewโ gluten free grain to add into my rotation. I love farro and wheat berries because of their texture so Iโm going to give this a try for sure!
Perfect! I think sorghum will be right up your alley, Christianna. :)
Yes, I really could use something other than couscous or quinoa! Not that I mind, but this sounds like a much-needed change-up. Glad you got to develop a recipe for it, Iโm sold! Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Hope you love sorghum, Ala!
These tomatoes look so delicious! I have some on my counter that are going to meet a similar fate now.
I donโt think Iโve ever eaten sorghum, but I definitely remember my uncles feeding it to their cows. I am intrigued by the idea, as well as the relatively cheap price!
Abby
I have never seen sorghum before and I am quite sure that itโs not available in Russia, but itโs always interesting to learn smth new. Amazing recipe, Katie, I will def try it with quinoa, thank you for the idea!
I think youโll love the recipe with quinoa, Victoria!
I am constantly surprised: all these people who are obviously interested in food and cooking have never heard of sorghum? Where have they been? Are they terribly young? Like babies? My grandchildren, all 10 of โem all are comfortable in the kitchen, males as well as females. And I am referring to REAL everyday cooking! Some of them also bake but both my daughters-in-law & my daughter trusted their husbands to cook for as well as bathe, dress, read stories to, comfort when hurt etc. my grandchildren when they had to go out of town on business. Now the oldest 6 grandchildren are adults. They are lawyers, doctors, teachers & artists. 2 are married and at the next family wedding (this July) I am going to ask them if theyโve heard of sorghum. And have they cooked it? Iโll let you know what I find out!!
Iโm looking forward to those answers, Ellen! Iโve heard my dad mention sorghum as a crop, but Iโd never cooked it until recently.
Never tried sorghum either, but youโve definitely convinced me to some time. I would definitely add the optional chickpeas. Another simple but super tasty salad โ my favourite kind!
Iโm another reader who has never eaten this. I do plan on trying it soon though.
Can you tell me if sorghum is high in protein like Quinoa?
Mary, great question. I just found a cool web page that gives a detailed comparison of the two, which you can find here: http://skipthepie.org/cereal-grains-and-pasta/sorghum/compared-to/quinoa-uncooked/. Sorghum has 11 grams of protein in a 100 gram serving, whereas quinoa has 14, but Iโd say thatโs still pretty good!
Oh my, this is gorgeous! And thank you SO much for the 411 on sorghum! I have seen sorghum flour in the past, but not the whole grain itself. I need something for my โTry Something New Tuesdayโ feature next week, and I think youโve just helped me decide what that is. Thanks Kate! :)
I think youโll love the sorghum, Angela!
Itโs 10am and I want this in my mouth/face already.
This salad sounds lovely and refreshing, and sorghum sounds super interesting! Anything that resembles Israeli couscous can definitely hang out in my kitchen. Iโm going to have to keep an eye out for it the next time I need to replenish the grain supply.
Roasted tomatoes always make salads better. Love this!
Hear, hear!
Iโve never eaten sorghum but Iโve seen it in health food shops. Nice to see that Bobโs have sorghum in their amazing range also! Love the ingredients that youโve combined with itโฆ roasted cherry tomatoes have become one of my recent fave things. The colours are fabulous! x
Sorghum is very popular here and we often make flatbreads from sorghum flour and eat with garlic and onion chutney. I loveeeee this idea of transforming it into a salad! Iโve never eaten sorghum in its whole form and cannot wait to give this a try! :)
Well, now I want to try your sorghum flatbreads! Sounds delicious.
Iโve never tried it but Iโm totally intrigued! Thanks for sharing it with us :)
Amazing pictures, everything looks so delicious!
Julia
Not to sound like a broken record, but I have never tried sorghum either. Iโm always looking for new grains to cook with though! Roasted cherry tomatoes are one of my favorite things ever, so I know that I would love this salad :)
Looks so much like cous cous! I love the taste/texture of cous cous but donโt like using it often as it is after all just like pasta. Will have to look out for sorghum.
Iโve never tried sorghum before, but this salad looks so delicious that Iโm going to have to try to find it now. And I canโt wait for my vegetables to hurry up and grow, either!
Iโve never had this before but Iโm going to go searching my small-town groceries for Sorghum! Thanks for the recipe. It looks delicious!
Canโt wait to try sorghum myself! YUM!
I havenโt tried sorghum but this salad looks just perfect for summer โ love those juicy roasted tomatoes!
Iโve been using lots of sorghum flour in GF baked goodsโit works AMAZING at replicating a true gluten-y texture, especially in muffins. Iโve seen this on the shelf, and now that Iโve been equipped with a recipe I may just have to try it! Great idea on subbing for cous cous.
Cool! Iโm glad to know that sorghum flour works well in baked goods. Iโm going to mention that to my GF baker friends!
Iโve never tried sorghum, but I definitely want to taste it! This salad looks DELICIOUS!
Can I just say I think itโs awesome that you have a post sponsored by Bobโs Red Mill because I actually love them. Love their products, love their history.
Thanks, Kathleen! I appreciate it.
Always excited to hear about another gluten-free grain :) I use quinoa in place of couscous a lotโฆsorghum sounds like it would be another great option. Thanks for sharing!
Yummy! Iโve just started using sorghum flour in my cooking, but Iโve never tried the whole grass/grass seed (?) (whatever) before. I will have to try and find it in my local health food shop because everything about this recipe is calling my name! Thanks Kate :)
Iโve never seen Sorghum here in the UK before, but I had heard of it before. When I work out the best substitution for arugula is (also doesnโt exist over here) ill make it with cous cous tho! And I admire you for growing your own! I hate gardening and am perfectly happy buying my produce from the store.
Hey Ana, can you find rocket in the UK? Arugula is rocket.
Whoever didnโt tell me this long before now is a cruel, cruel internet search. Seriously. Thanks a lot. Big bag of fresh rocket here I come!!!!
This looks wonderful! I have a bag of sorghum to try out โ this looks like a great way to dive in!
Pretty sure this is what I want my summer to look like. Bowls and bowls and bowls of this. Plus ice cream.
This looks delicious!!! Iโll definitely make this recipe some time next week.
My sorghum is currently cooking right now and Iโm so excited to try it!! Iโm doing a green bean, chickpea, scallion & parsley salad with your lemon tahini dressing I found on an old post. If you see it on IG later consider it a success ;)
Hope the salads turned out great, Rachel!
The husband came back with a giant bag of cherry tomatoes from our CSA this weekend, and about half were already splitting. Thankfully I saw this recipe! I cooked down double the tomatoes and folded all of it into quinoa with the dressing, which was creamy and delicious, especially over the spicy arugula. Iโm already looking forward to the leftovers!
Iโll be trying this sans cheese (do you have any substitution suggestions for lactose-intolerant eaters?) It looks delicious!
Btw, tabbouleh is traditionally made with wheat bulgar, but sorghum looks like a nice gluten-free option. ;}
Stumbled onto this and had to try it. Didnโt have arugula on hand (although my favorite green) and used bok choy instead. Yum!