Easy Quinoa Tabbouleh recipe. This gluten free side dish makes a great meal prep vegetarian lunch.
Okay, one last summery post before we transition into fall flavors. I promise.
Well… maybe I will go back on my promise in a couple of days. But I will try my best to start with the pumpkin and apple baking soon!
So this recipe arose when I got parsley from my Imperfect Foods box and thought.. what the heck do I do with parsley??
After a quick Google search, it appears like Tabbouleh is a great option. The only problem is, I wanted to use it right away, and I didn’t have bulgar to make the classic version.
So I settled on this Quinoa Tabbouleh instead.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Ingredients
You just need 7 simple ingredients to make this quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe. All you need is:
- White quinoa
- Fresh parsley
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Chopped tomatoes
- pinch of salt
- black pepper
That’s it!
What is Tabbouleh?
Traditional tabbouleh salad (sometimes written as tabouli salad) is a classic middle eastern dish made with fresh herbs. The traditional recipe uses parsley, fresh tomatoes, bulgur wheat and green onions as its main ingredients. It is then topped with a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. However, in this Quinoa Tabouli recipe, the bulgar wheat is replaced with quinoa and I omitted the green onions.
Tips
Storage: first allow the cooked quinoa to cool to room temperature. Then store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What to serve it with? Classic tabbouleh is usually served on a lettuce leaf, but I love serving this quinoa version with pita bread too!
Make sure you use fresh veggies. If you don’t have regular tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes works well here too. I also love adding in some fresh mint as well.
Use flat leaf parsley. Curly parsley will overpower this salad, so make sure you get the right parsley. And make sure that it is fresh as well!
Variations
Mix in some feta cheese. A popular variation is adding some feta cheese for a more creamy salad.
Add in some crunch. I love adding in some chopped English cucumber to the mix for an added crunch.
More Quinoa Recipes
Like this Quinoa Tabbouleh? Then you will love these great recipe ideas using quinoa:
- Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Chili
- Quinoa Taco Bowls with Pico de Gallo
- Cheese and Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
And if you try this recipe, let me know! Give it a star rating, leave a comment and tag me with #atasteofmadness on social media! I always love seeing what you are creating!
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 medium roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- in a small saucepan, heat the quinoa and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
- Once the quinoa is done, add to the parsley mixture. Stir to combine. Enjoy warm or cold.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Tabbouleh is one of my favorite dishes and love how you’ve incorporated all the wonderfulness using quinoa! Love this recipe!
It’s such a nice change 🙂
Love the idea of using quinoa for tabbouleh! It’s a refreshing addition to my lunch
Yay!! It’s so good for lunch!!
Such a wonderful vegetarian option for lunch! I love how everything comes together in about 20 minutes.
Quick and easy is my favourite 🙂
This recipe is delicious! I love tabbouleh and it’s great to have the added protein from the quinoa.
Thanks!