A Refreshing and Delicious Summer Salad!
Tabbouleh Salad is one of my most favorite salads I learned how to make in cooking school about 20 years ago. Yep, I said it, 20 years ago. Now I feel old. Anyway, Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern Vegetarian dish, that has fresh mint, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, lemon juice, olive oil and sometimes garlic. It is traditionally made with Bulger Wheat or Cous Cous. Obviously, bulger wheat and cous cous have gluten, so I made my Tabbouleh with Quinoa. Quinoa is similar in texture and taste to bulger and cous cous and it is prepared the same way. It is a perfect alternative to use in most recipes calling for either bulger or cous cous.
Quinoa can be purchased in bulk at your local health food store, or purchased pre-packaged at your grocer and can now also be found at the larger warehouse stores like Costco.
How to prepare Quinoa? With most recipes, I will boil the quinoa in either chicken broth or vegetable broth to give it more flavor. However, with this recipe, since we are putting a lemon/olive oil dressing on it, we will boil it in water. First you want to rinse the dry quinoa to remove the natural bitterness of the outer coating of quinoa. This is easist done using a mesh strainer. I usually soak mine after rinsing for about 15 minutes, but it isn’t necessary as long as it is rinsed well. After rinsing, you bring your liquid to boil, whether it’s water, vegetable broth or chicken broth, then add the quinoa, cover, reduce heat to simmer for about 15-18 minutes. To make the quinoa more flavorful, add about 1/4 tsp. salt to the liquid. After it’s done cooking, just fluff with a fork and then it is ready to use is desired recipes. Simple as that!
How much Quinoa should I use? 1 cup uncooked quinoa + 2 cups liquid = yields 3 cups cooked quinoa. For the Tabbouleh recipe we will use 1 cup uncooked with 2 cups water + 1/4 tsp. salt.
Gluten Free Tabbouleh Salad
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
2 cups water
¼ tsp salt
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, minced
1 cup fresh mint leaves, minced (or you can use 3 Tbsp. dried if you can’t find fresh. Fresh is best though)
1 medium cucumber, thinly diced or 1½ cups diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, thinly diced or 1- 1½ cup diced
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. salt (½ tsp if quinoa is not boiled with salt)
Directions
Using a mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse quinoa. Then soak for about 15 minutes and drain water. Heat 2 cups water with ¼ tsp. salt until boiling. Add rinsed and drained quinoa. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with lid and simmer for about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to large salad bowl.
Meanwhile, while quinoa is cooking, prepare parsley, mint, cucumber, green onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Mix together lemon juice with olive oil, garlic and salt.
Pour lemon juice/olive oil mixture over quinoa. Toss to coat. Add the rest of the ingredients, and toss well.
Serve in a decorative salad bowl, or over a bed of small romaine lettuce leaves.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
GFM TIP ~ This recipe can be made the night before or several hours in advance if desired.
Serves 6-8
Gluten Free Tabbouleh Salad
Gluten Free Tabbouleh Salad is delicious and made gluten free using Quinoa.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, minced
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, minced (or you can use 3 Tbsp. dried if you can’t find fresh. Fresh is best though)
- 1 medium cucumber, thinly diced or 1½ cups diced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded, thinly diced or 1- 1½ cup diced
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp. salt (½ tsp if quinoa is not boiled with salt)
Instructions
- Using a mesh strainer, thoroughly rinse quinoa. Then soak for about 15 minutes and drain water.
- Heat 2 cups water with ¼ tsp. salt until boiling. Add rinsed and drained quinoa. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with lid and simmer for about 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and add to large salad bowl.
- Meanwhile, while quinoa is cooking, prepare parsley, mint, cucumber, green onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Mix together lemon juice with olive oil, garlic and salt.
- Pour lemon juice/olive oil mixture over quinoa. Toss to coat. Add the rest of the ingredients, and toss well.
- Serve in a decorative salad bowl, or over a bed of small romaine lettuce leaves.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes