Quinoa Tabouli

5 from 17 votes

The quinoa tabouli is a vibrant, fresh-tasting, healthy, easy-to-make dish. It has all the elements of the traditional Tabouli. However, using quinoa adds more protein and makes it naturally gluten-free.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Refrigerate / rest time1

Total Time2

Course: Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine: Israeli Recipes, Lebanese Recipes, Mediterranean Recipes, Middle Eastern Recipes

Keyword: Dairy Free, Easy Recipe, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Lemon, Lenten Recipe, Mediterranean, Mint, Parsley, Quinoa, Tomatoes, Vegan, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 206kcal

Author: Sonia Skounaki-Garbidakis

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa uncooked
1 cup green onions (scallions) finely chopped
2 cups fresh parsley minced
½ cup fresh mint minced
6 Roma tomatoes cored and diced to 1/4" pieces
½ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions, adding a dash of salt and olive oil to the cooking water. Then, let cooll until it reaches room temperature, about 30 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking, chop your ingredients.
Chop the scallions into ¼” pieces.
Core and seed the tomatoes to reduce the moisture released by the tomatoes when you chop them. Then, dice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch pieces.
Finely chop the parsley & fresh mint leaves until you have the recommended amounts.
In a large glass bowl, combine the herbs, scallions, and tomatoes into a large mixing bowl.
Once the quinoa is cooled, stir into the mixing bowl until incorporated.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and drizzle over the salad. Fold gently until all of the ingredients are covered with the dressing.
Cover the bowl. Place in the refrigerator to allow for the flavors to develop, for at least 1 hour.

Video

Notes

Rinse the quinoa well before cooking it to avoid the bitter taste caused by its outer layer, saponin.

Chop the herbs by hand instead of using a food processor, as the latter bruises the herbs and alters their taste and look.

Make-ahead

You can batch-cook the quinoa and freeze it to always have it at hand for this dish or other quick meals. Having some already cooked quinoa makes this dish a matter of minutes to prepare, as you do not have to plan for extra time for the quinoa to cool down.

I don't recommend making the complete dish and then freeze. The consistency of the fresh herbs and tomatoes will change when you freeze and thaw.

You can make the quinoa tabouli and dress it a day in advance. Store in an air-tight glass container in the refrigerator. As the Tabouli rests, the flavors develop even more.

Storing leftovers

If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.

Nutrition