Tabbouleh Salad (or tabouli) is one of my favorite Mediterranean dishes. It’s tart and tangy with an abundance of herbs, veggies and the healthy craze of quinoa (pronounced ‘kin-wha’). A typical tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat, but I choose to make mine with quinoa because it’s gluten-free and vitamin-rich.
The star ingredient to any tabbouleh salad is finely chopped parsley, and this recipe is no exception. A lot of parsley goes into this recipe, so don’t be shy with it and definitely don’t scale back thinking I made a typo in the ingredient section. I didn’t.
The secret to making a great Tabbouleh salad is making sure everything is finely chopped, especially the parsley since it’s the star ingredient to tabbouleh. It is the essential method to releasing the strong herb flavors and distributing the proper flavors evenly throughout the salad. Although cucumbers are not traditionally used in Tabbouleh salad, I like to add it to mine as it adds crunch and freshness. You can also cater your Tabbouleh Salad to your liking by adding in your preferred vegetables. Just don’t forget to finely chop and you’ll have yourself a delicious treat.
Try Tabbouleh Salad as a side dish (goes great with chicken or fish), or try serving it on a bed of lettuce or with a side of pita bread for a fresh and light main course.
Tabbouleh Salad With Quinoa
A classic Middle Eastern salad is upgraded with the healthy craze of quinoa.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- FOR THE HERBS AND VEGETABLES
- 1 cup (60g) fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh koriander/cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 cucumber (1-1/2 cups), seeded and finely chopped
- 3 stalks spring onions, finely chopped
- FOR THE DRESSING:
- 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 2 lemons (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- OPTIONAL:
- 1 extra lemon
Directions
- Step 1 Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Rinse out the quinoa about 4-5 times. This helps remove the bitter taste. Add the quinoa to boiling water and cook for 9 minutes. Strain in a fine sieve, rinse under cold water, and leave to dry. You might want to press the quinoa against the sieve, using the back of a spoon, to help release excess water. Do this several times, leaving some time in between before repeating this step. The quinoa should be as dry as possible.
- Step 2 Finely chop all the vegetables and herbs and put in a large bowl. Note: Measure the herbs after they are chopped.
- Step 3 Make the dressing. Mix all the ingredients together and stir vigorously. Make sure to zest the lemon first. Then cut lemons in half and squeeze out the juice.
- Step 4 Once the quinoa is dry, add it to the large bowl of herbs and vegetables. Then pour the dressing in and toss gently to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. I usually add in the juice of one more lemon. Toss again.
- Step 5 Best served when chilled. You can sprinkle some freshly squeezed lemon juice right before serving to wake up the flavors.