Tabouli Salad (tabbouleh)
Fluffy, crunchy, healthy and refreshing, serve tabouli chilled or room temperature. It’s great for lunch or dinner in the heat of summer. Serve with chicken, meat, fish, or by itself as a vegetarian dish. Make this salad a day, even two days, ahead of serving. It will keep for 2-3 days undressed in the refrigerator. Dress before serving. See variation ideas at the end.
Servings: 6
Calories: 215kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Quinoa Tabouleh Salad
- ¾ cup quinoa white or tri-color blend
- 2 Persian cucumbers diced small sub half a large English seedless
- 2 roma tomatoes chopped small
- 2 large bunches parsley curly or flat leaf
- 1 small bunch mint leaves
- ¼ red onion chopped fine
- 3 green onions or scallions chopped fine
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove very finely chopped or zested with a microplane
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Rinse and Cook Quinoa
- Wash raw quinoa well under cold running water with a sprayer attachment through a sieve or soak and stir in a bowl of cold water, drain and wash again.
- Cook quinoa. I use a 2 quart pan and 1 ½ cups water. Bring water to a boil, add quinoa. Reduce to a simmer and cover with lid. Turn heat to low. Cook until all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off heat. Allow to stand for 10 minutes to steam finish. The grains should be light and fluffy with the germ ring unfurled. Spread quinoa on a rimmed baking sheet and allow to cool.
Make the Vinaigrette and Prep the Vegetables
- While quinoa is cooking, make the vinaigrette, then prep the vegetables and herbs. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. This recipe makes extra, in case you need a bit more. For cucumbers, quarter them, slice out the seedy center, cut each quarter into long strips and cut across into fine dice. Do the same with the tomatoes. See photos in the post for help.
Mix and Dress the Salad
- Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and herbs to the cooled quinoa. When ready to serve add a few tablespoons of the dressing and toss gently. Add enough to flavor the salad but don’t soak it in dressing. Serve chilled with extra dressing on the side.
Notes
To chop fresh herbs, wash and dry well. Dry herbs chop easily. Chopping wet or damp herbs just becomes a mess. Wash and dry on paper towels or in a salad spinner, then air dry until completely dry on a kitchen towel.
Variations:
- Crumbled or cubed feta cheese (or goat cheese) is a nice addition.
- Want more color? Use red and yellow tomatoes.
- For a lighter color salad, use all white quinoa.
- Want a little more texture and protein? Add canned rinsed and drained chickpeas (aka garbanzos).
- Add pine nuts for a buttery crunch.
Nutrition
Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 291IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg