Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad is refreshing and simple to make. Plus, since it uses quinoa instead of bulgur wheat, it is a great gluten-free option.
If you don't consider yourself much of a salad person, summer is a great time to give them a second shot. After all, there are so many different types of salads out there, you are bound to find at least one you like.
Why not start out with this Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad? Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad made with a base of parsley, and most often, bulgur wheat. Oftentimes, here in North America, it's usually mostly bulgur with a little bit of parsley.
This version is a little more traditional in that it's loaded with parsley, but untraditional in that it uses quinoa instead of bulgur. I prefer quinoa because I always have it around and I prefer it's nutty flavor. Also, quinoa is gluten-free, so feel free to serve it to any friends or family that require a gluten-free diet.
Unlike many other salads out there, don't expect this one to stand on it's own as a meal. Since it doesn't have a huge amount of protein, so it's better as a side dish. It's especially great with other Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dishes like falafel, or chicken souvlaki, but it's good with any grilled meat or sandwich.
How to make Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad:
This tabbouleh salad is beyond simple to make. All you have to do is roughly chop the parsley and mint, slice up the scallions, and chop up the tomatoes. Then toss it all up with the quinoa, some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and cayenne and you're done. It's best if you can make it an hour or so in advance and let the flavors meld before serving it.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad Ingredients:
- Cooked quinoa: use leftover quinoa if you have any, or cook it up fresh and let it cool before you add it to the salad.
- Parsley minced: I prefer using flat-leaf parsley for this (and all) recipes, but you can also use curly-leaf parsley too.
- Tomatoes
- Scallions (green onions)
- Fresh mint leaves
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is best, but you can also use bottled lemon juice
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Cayenne pepper
Want more Plant-Based Salads?
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad Nutrition Notes:
Serve this tabbouleh salad with grilled chicken or fish, or add some high-protein legumes (like chickpeas) to make a complete meal.
This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan as written.
Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked quinoa leftover is best
- 2 bunches parsley stems removed, minced (about 2 cups)
- 2 medium tomatoes cored, seeded and chopped
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Add 1 cup cooked quinoa, minced parsley, chopped tomatoes, sliced scallions, and minced mint to a large bowl. Add ⅓ cup lemon juice, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper. Toss to combine. Cover and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour before serving. Will hold for 1-2 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Richard says
Bluegrass Festival in Viroqua this weekend.
Bacon Brew & BBQ Fest in Sun prairie on Saturday 7/12.