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Quinoa tabbouleh in a bowl.

Easy Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Fresh lemon, herbs and veggies along with a dash of olive oil come together to create this Quinoa Tabbouleh that is absolutely delicious! It's healthy, filling, and completely gluten-free.
Author: Kim Grimmett
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course: Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
Servings: 4 (4 as a side / 2 as a main)

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
  • 1 english cucumber, deseeded and medium dice (about 1 cup)
  • 2 roma tomatoes, deseeded and medium dice (about 1 cup )
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 small garlic clove, very finely minced (or use a microplane )
  • 2 large bunches Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped (needs to be totally dry before chopping)
  • ¼ cup mint, chopped (needs to be totally dry before chopping)
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Cook the quinoa according to package directions in salted water. When done spread on a sheet pan to cool. The quinoa must be cooled before making the salad.
  • Toss the diced cucumber, diced tomato, and sliced green onion in a medium bowl with the ½ teaspoon salt and set aside.
  • Dry off the parsley as much as possible. Pick the top leaves off the parsley bunches leaving out the thick stems. Now, you can chop the parsley by hand with a knife or you can place the parsley leaves into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it's finely chopped. If using the food processor you will need to do this in 2 batches doing each bunch separately. Make sure to pulse as you don’t want to puree the leaves, you just want to chop them up finely. Once chopped, place the parsley into a large bowl.
  • When the quinoa is cooled add it to the large bowl with the chopped parsley along with the tomato, cucumber, and green onion mixture.
  • Add the minced garlic to the mixture. You can also add the garlic by grating it into the bowl with a microplane.
  • Add the mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil. Toss to combine making sure to coat well.
  • Taste for salt and add more if desired. You may also add more lemon for a zestier taste or more oil for a less zesty taste.
  • Let the tabbouleh sit for 10-20 minutes to let the flavors meld together before serving.

Notes

*If you use a food processor to chop the parsley you must pulse it carefully and just a few times. The parsley must also be completely dry or it will turn into a wet mess. The other option is to chop it using a knife or kitchen scissors.

Nutrition

Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.6g | Protein: 4.1g | Fat: 8.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 3.2g | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 4mg
Keyword gluten-free tabbouleh, quinoa tabbouleh, tabbouleh
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