It’s “keen-wah tab-ooh-lay.” Don’t be scared by the name! Away from this deliciously easy, delicious, and refreshing dish! I’ve loved tabbouleh since I first tasted it as a young child. It’s a delightful, textured dish with many fresh, vibrant flavors. Traditional tabbouleh utilizes bulky bulgur (cracked wheat) to bulk it up; however, it’s not easy to find in American supermarkets. Quinoa, on the other hand, has been gaining popularity over the last 5+ years and is available all over the place at an affordable cost. So I decided to swap for bulgur and made Quinoa Tabbouleh instead!
OTHER GRAIN OPTIONS FOR TABBOULEH
If you are unable to get the quinoa and bulgur in your area, then couscous can be an excellent alternative. The three options cook fast and are generally sold in bulk, and you can get the quantity you require.
RECIPE YIELD
You can choose to use straight leaf or curly for this salad. However, the curly leaf gives the Quinoa Tabbouleh more lift and bulk. The amount of salad the recipe produces will vary depending on what size you have in your cucumber, tomato, and parsley bunches; however, it’s very flexible, so don’t worry about the quantity of veggies. My salad yielded approximately 8 cups. You can also add another set of parsley if you wish to extend it further. This is likely to “shrink” as it refrigerates and the veggies start to soften.
QUINOA TABBOULEH IS GREAT FOR MEAL PREP!
It’s a fantastic salad that you can prepare to serve during the week ahead. The vegetables are crunchy at first. However, the flavor improves when they blend and mix in the fridge. The second day is my favorite; however, every time I cook this salad, I love it for at least four or five days. It’s a great thing to keep in the refrigerator to serve for a snack, as a side dish, or even to include feta and chicken to create a complete dinner!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked quinoa ($1.40)
One large lemon ($0.69)
Four cloves of garlic ($0.32)
1 cup olive oil($0.52)
One teaspoon salt ($0.05)
One large tomato ($1.10)
One large cube ($1.49)
One bunch of curly leaf parsley ($0.89)
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the quinoa with cooling running water. Place the rinsed quinoa into the pot along with 1.75 cups of water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and let it simmer over 15 mins; in 15 minutes, shut off the heating. Let the quinoa cool before making the salad. Otherwise, the heat can cause the wilting of vegetables and parsley. To speed up the cooling process, put it on a baking tray and put it in the fridge in the refrigerator for about 30 mins.
When the quinoa is cool, it is time to prepare the remainder part of your salad. For the dressing, squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl (about 1/4 cup). Cut the garlic into small pieces and add the juice of the lemon along with salt and olive oil. Mix well, and then place the salad aside.
Cut the cucumber and tomato into small pieces. Rinse the parsley to get rid of grit and sand. Then chop the parsley into pieces. Add the tomato, cucumber, and parsley to an enormous bowl.
After the quinoa has cooled, add it to the bowl and the other vegetables. Sprinkle the dressing over it and stir until the entire bowl is coated. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The salad should be given a quick stir before serving.
