Quinoa Tabbouleh

This Quinoa Tabbouleh is one of my absolute go-to salads—it’s incredibly easy to make, bursting with fresh flavours and versatile enough to pair with just about anything. Plus, it keeps well for a few days, so you can enjoy it as leftovers for lunch or dinner. Whether you’re serving it at a family gathering or packing it for work, this salad is a winner every time.

Health benefits

Quinoa is a complete protein and has an extraordinary nutrient profile. I’ve written more about why I love it here. Parsley is so much more than a garnish. It is a very rich source of vitamin K, C and also iron (double spinach). It also support digestion, detoxification and has one of the highest counts of antioxidants among plants. Best of all it is really easy to grow in a pot or in your herb garden! This recipe is a bit of a change from a traditional tabbouleh which is made with bulgur wheat and tomatoes, but it’s just as delicious and full of nutrition.

Ingredients

This gluten-free Quinoa Tabbouleh is my take on the classic middle eastern salad, made with simple, wholesome ingredients like quinoa, flat-leaf parsley, mint, red onion, capsicum, and cucumber. The dressing, made with garlic, fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, ties everything together with a bright, zesty finish. 

How to make this Quinoa Tabbouleh salad

Making this quinoa tabbouleh is a breeze! Start by rinsing and cooking the quinoa until it’s light and fluffy. Let it cool while you chop the herbs and veggies. Mix everything together in a large bowl, then shake up the simple lemon and olive oil dressing to pour over the salad. It’s as easy as that—fresh, flavourful, and ready to enjoy.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve this quinoa tabbouleh as a side dish with grilled meats, or add in some hummus and pita bread for a feast. It’s also great in wraps or as a filling for fresh spring rolls. To store, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days—just wait to add the dressing until right before serving to keep it fresh.

Vary this to suit your dietary needs

This salad is easy to customise! If you’re avoiding onions, simply leave them out. Garlic can be replaced with a dash of ground cumin and cayenne for a different flavour profile. To make it a heartier meal, toss in some grilled chicken, lamb, fish, or even add a poached egg on top. The possibilities are endless!

Check out the variations below the main recipe for tips on how to adapt it to your specific dietary needs.

For loads of delicious, healthy and easy to make salads, click HERE.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Prep 10 minutes minutes

Cook 15 minutes minutes

Total 25 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

A more nourishing version of the traditional version, this gluten-free Quinoa Tabbouleh is so delicious. I hope you love it as much as I do. 

MetricUS Customary

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Ingredients

• 170 g quinoa (1 cup) or approximately 3 cups cooked
• 1 red onion/s (small) finely diced
• ½ bunch/s fresh parsley leaves -finely diced
• ¼ bunch/s fresh mint leaves -finely diced
• 2 red capsicum/s -diced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber (small) diced (none in this photo as I can't stand it)

Dressing

• 1 clove/s garlic -finely diced or crushed
• 1 lemon/s -zest and juice (approx. ¼ cup juice)
• 120 ml extra virgin olive oil (½ cup) extra virgin
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste

Method

• Firstly rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve really well for at least 1 minute (this removes the bitter saponins from the quinoa). If you have time to soak the quinoa in water with a splash of apple cider vinegar (for up to 12 hours) this will improve its digestibility.

  Cook the quinoa by placing it into a pot with 2 cups of water.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. This step gives the quinoa time to pop open and the little white spiral to appear. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Allow to cool.
• Mix it together with all of the other ingredients.
• To make the dressing, combine all of the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well until combined (it looks almost creamy).

Thermomix method

• Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve really well for at least 1 minute. Add 700g water to TMX bowl. Tip quinoa into steamer basket and cook for 15 minutes, Varoma temp, speed 4, MC on, or until cooked.
• Use your TMX spatula to remove the steaming basket and tip quinoa onto a plate to cool. Tip out remaining steaming water.
• Chop the parsley and mint in your TMX 5 seconds speed 5.
• Combine the salad and then make your dressing (without rinsing it).
• Chop the garlic 5 seconds, speed 8.
• Add the lemon, zest, olive oil and seasoning and combine 10 seconds, speed 6.

Make-ahead

• You can make quinoa ahead of time, store in the fridge, and then make this salad very quickly!
• Make ahead but don’t dress until right before serving.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Variations

Onion-free

Simply omit the onion.

Garlic-free

Replace the garlic with ½ teaspoon ground cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Make a meal of it

I love this salad as is, but there are so many ways to make it into a big meal...

• add any grilled protein such as chicken, fish, lamb, tempeh
• add some hummus and pita bread for a feast
• lovely with toasted nuts or seeds added
• I love this with grilled chorizo and goat or feta cheese
• have it for breakfast with a poached egg
• delicious in a wrap with falafel
• I often use leftovers to fill fresh spring rolls.

 

For more sides and salad inspo, check out my awesome ebook 'Well Nourished Sides and Salads' - just $9.95, click HERE to shop.

 

 

I'd love to hear how you like this twist on the classic. Post a comment or rate this recipe.

Course: Salad

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