A gluten-free take on the classic tabbouleh -- this is a simple and satisfying salad that pairs well with so many other dishes!
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Fresh, Light and Flavorful, especially when made with in season produce!
Update September 2020… This key to this simple salad is really fresh produce, so we’re making it as often as possible over the next few weeks while summer tomatoes, cucumbers and herbs are still plentiful!
Hope you love it as much as we do!
Update July 2020…
I always say this tastes amazing in the Summer and it really does!
Just made it tonight with tomatoes and cucumber straight from my mother-in-laws garden and it was unreal!
So happy we have a few more months of the freshest summer produce to make this salad with!
It’s the kind of salad that pairs with so many dishes and is a favorite.
Original post…
This Quinoa Tabbouleh is a gluten-free take on the classic tabbouleh and we love it all year round, but especially in in the Summer when the produce is fresh!
Right now all the herbs in our garden are thriving and tomatoes are so ripe, so there’s no better time to make a batch!
And it’s both simple in ingredients and ease of making it.
It’s made with 8 real, whole food ingredients: quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, mint, scallions, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
And it comes together quickly. You can prep all the veggies while the quinoa cooks and the entire dish can be ready in 20 minutes.
Then all you do is mix the quinoa with lemon juice, olive oil and salt, then add the chopped veggies and herbs and toss together.
It’s fresh, light and flavorful and it’s adaptable to tastes and availability of ingredients.
For instance, we like ours to have a lot of quinoa so we dial down the amount of herbs and veggies, but you could easily dial it up.
You could also leave out or increase any of the ingredients. My family doesn’t love mint for instance so I will often leave it out and add mint just to my plate.
The one thing I never switch up is the simple dressing!
It’s just lemon juice, olive oil and kosher salt. It’s fresh and works so well with this salad!
One of the reasons we love this salad is that pairs well with so many other salads and a protein of choice.
We’ve served it with grilled chicken, steak and salmon. Sometime I mix the tabbouleh all together with warm sauteed chickpeas, feta and olives.
Here I made a bowl with quinoa tabbouleh, massaged kale, hummus, avocado, herbed yogurt sauce and kalamata olives.
This salad also makes a large quantity so perfect for a crowd or meal prep.
A gluten-free take on the classic tabbouleh, this simple salad is quinoa mixed up with finely chopped parsley, scallions, fresh cucumber and cherry tomatoes all tossed with lemon juice and olive oil. It's fresh, light and pairs well with other salads and a proteins. Makes a large quantity and saves well in the refrigerator for several days. Feel free to adjust quantities of individual ingredients to taste. Pro tip: Prep the veggies and dressing while the quinoa cooks and it can be ready in just over 20 minutes!
Author: Healthy Gluten-Free Family
Recipe type: Salads, Sides
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Serves: 6 cups
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ tsp kosher salt or more to taste
½ - 1 tsp black pepper or to taste
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (approximately 1 bunch)
½ -1 cup, chopped flat-leaf parsley (to taste)
½ - 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (optional -- I love but my family doesn't so I make it without)
Prepare quinoa (I often make this earlier in the day and set aside)
Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa tender, approximately 15 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes, the fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl.
Mix dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
Mix Salad
In a large bowl, mix prepared quinoa with lemon juice dressing.
Add scallions, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, pepper. Toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Serve. Stores well in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a few days.
I made this two nights ago for dinner and it was bangin’! Because we work out and like extra protein at our last meal, I added some grilled chicken to it. My husband and I loved it.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
I tried this and love it. I’m not big on mint but I love the dressing! Love how versatile it is too! Thank you!
Happy you love it! I haven’t been using the mint lately either because my family aren’t mint fans and it’s been so tasty! Thank you!
I made this two nights ago for dinner and it was bangin’! Because we work out and like extra protein at our last meal, I added some grilled chicken to it. My husband and I loved it.
So happy you loved it! Pairs perfectly with grilled chicken! Thanks for sharing!