Quinoa Tabbouleh - a healthy gluten free salad

A deliciously herby, lemony, garlicky Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad – naturally gluten free and entirely plant-based. This is an extremely nutrient-dense meal, high in protein and fibre, brimming with antioxidants.

We’ve been craving lighter meals here, and with the parsley near going rogue in the garden it would be rude not to make a tabbouleh salad, wouldn’t it?

This recipe has a few Lauren additions – roast tomatoes (increases the lycopene content – a potent antioxidant), cucumbers (apparently not served in traditional Lebanese tabbouleh), and Za’atar spice blend in the dressing (because, extra lemony herby spicy goodness).

Made with tri-colour quinoa rather than bulgur wheat, to make it gluten free and coeliac friendly. If you have a sensitive tum, rinse well to help reduce the saponin content before cooking.

This recipe is quick, simple and delicious, the perfect salad to take along to a summer picnic. The real beauty of it is, the longer you leave it, the better it tastes!

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Ingredients

A classic tabbouli salad with a few twists, as mentioned above. You’ll need;

• Quinoa – I’ve opted for tri-colour, which visually looks great
• Flat leaf parsley
• Fresh mint
• Scallions
• Cucumber – Lebanese is my pick for this
• Cherry tomatoes
• Organic extra virgin olive oil
• Lemons – we’ll need the juice and zest
• Garlic
• Za’atar spice blend – trust me, next level
• Coarse sea salt

Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe – Step by Step

Start by getting the quinoa on to cook. Rinse well under running water, then add to a saucepan with water, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook for ten minutes or so until the spirals separate out from the quinoa grains. Once cooked, drain, fluff with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl [1].

While the quinoa cooks, get the oven cranking at 200˚C / 392˚F. Half the cherry tomatoes and bake until juicy and shrivelled [2].

Chop the parsley, stalks and all, superfine. We need three full cups. Yes, this part is a little tedious [3].

Hot tip: I’ve found the easiest way to cut fine a large bunch of fresh herbs is to gather them tight and use a herb cutter like the one pictured. Using a concave board is helpful, but a flat board works just as well. You can always try a food processor – but it’s just one more piece of bulky equipment to wash afterwards – and dishes are my nemesis!

Chop the fresh mint in the same way – mint stalks are tougher so leave those out [4].

To prep the scallions – trim the roots off, then finely slice the white and even the green parts, we need a half cup [5].

Peel the Lebanese cucumber, slice the ends off, then cut lengthways into strips. From here – it’s super easy to dice into small cubes [6].

Now that all the salad ingredients are prepped – add them to the serving bowl [7].

Finely dice one or two garlic cloves, then whisk up the dressing [8]. Pour over the salad, then toss to combine, finishing it off with some freshly grated lemon zest. Quinoa tabbouleh done. Freakin’ delish!

Secrets to the best Tabbouleh in town

• It’s all about the parsley – this recipe has a great quinoa to parsley ratio – in fact it’s pretty much a parsley salad! Seriously though, any more grain, and you lose the flavour and visual effect (how great does a plate full of vivid green look)
• Flat leaf over curly leaf, please
• Homegrown, Lebanese cucumbers don’t even compare to supermarket cuc’s
• The roasted tomatoes add depth of flavour
• The Za’atar! A Middle Eastern spice blend – oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac and sesame seeds. It really elevates a rather simple dressing
• The quinoa needs to be cooked just right – if you over cook, it will look soggy rather than fluffy. See my post here on how to cook the perfect quinoa
• Let the quinoa cool before combining with the rest of the ingredients – crucial step – otherwise the fresh herbs will wilt and you’ll be extremely sad. Yes, you will.

What to serve it with

There are so many ways to enjoy this salad – I served it with chickpeas tossed in spice (cumin, coriander, paprika) and lightly fried, a dollop of kraut, avocado and just a dash of vegan mayo. Hubby enjoyed his with a salmon fillet baked in tamari, honey and turmeric.

Some recipes to pair quinoa tabbouleh with:

• Radical Roasted Beet Hummus (just add falafel and a wrap)
• Healthy Baked Falafel with Turmeric Tahini Dressing
• Roasted Cauliflower with Fennel and Chilli
• Spiced Sauerkraut

Health and Nutrition Benefits

This tabbouleh salad is rather large and will give you 4 generous serves, or 6 smaller serves as a side. The nutrition facts are based on 4 serving sizes, here are some of the incredible perks:

• High in dietary fibre: at 6g per serve, that’s just under one quarter your daily needs (adult women need at least 25g/day, and men 30g/day). Dietary fibre is absolutely critical for a healthy gut
• 7g plant-protein per serve – by the time you add a few extra things to your plate to make it a balanced meal (a dollop of hummus, a serve of white beans, a spoon of kraut for example), you’re on your way to a highly satiating meal
• High in vitamin C – vit C is required for collagen synthesis, healthy connective tissue, synthesis of L-carnitine and some neurotransmitters. It’s an antioxidant, plays a role in immune function and facilitates the absorption of iron. Most of the vit C is coming from the fresh parsley (as is the iron) – which, being raw, means it is bioavailable and not lost due to cooking
• High in iron – providing a third of the RDI for adult women
• High in magnesium – the ‘miracle mineral’ – again providing a third of the RDI for women.
• Alkaline forming, packed with antioxidants and rich in anti-inflammatory compounds (particularly so if you’re using a quality, organic, extra virgin olive oil)

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📖Recipe