quinoa tabbouleh
Originating in the country of Lebanon, Tabbouleh is a side dish that is traditionally made with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, green onion, cucumbers, parsley, mint, olive oil and lemon. It is a super fresh, easy to make vegan recipe that is also heart healthy.
When we make it, we usually substitute quinoa for the bulgur to make it gluten free and also just because we prefer the taste and texture of quinoa. This light and easy recipe is the perfect accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish, lamb, hummus and pita bread.
The Recipe
Quinoa Tabbouleh
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1/2 English cucumber, diced small
- 4 roma tomatoes, diced small
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 bunch parsley, larger stems removed and leaves finely chopped
- 2 sprigs mint, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
- 2 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Bring the water and 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a boil.
- Add the quinoa and let it cook until almost all of the water has evaporated, stirring frequently.
- When there is a little bit of water left, turn off the heat and cover it with a lid. Let the quinoa sit covered for 10 minutes (this will allow the quinoa to bloom and become softer and perfectly cooked). Set it aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled quinoa and the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir and season more as needed.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill and let the flavors meld together for an hour or more. Enjoy! Note: you can serve this right away, but the taste will get better the longer it has time to marinate.
Yield: 6 servings