quinoa tabouli (vegan, gluten free, low carb, sugar free)
I love trying foods from other cultures which have a solid amount of veggies in their diets.
Ever since I tried tabouli, a middle eastern salad that usually features bulgar, I was a fan. However, my enthusiasm for it waivered ever since I began cutting back on wheat products several years go. I also swapped out the oil for hummus for an interesting twist on the dressing.
Thankfully, I discovered that quinoa is a perfect substitute and packs a superfood, plant protein punch into this refreshing salad. The key to great quinoa is thoroughly rinsing off the bitter saponin and using a ratio of water to quinoa that is just shy of 2:1.
If you give this a try, I would love your feedback.
CLICK HERE TO PRINT A PDF of the quinoa tabouli recipe
quinoa tabouli
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
- 4 T hummus
- 2 T lemon juice
- ½ tsp salt
- dashes freshly ground pepper
For the Salad
- ¾ c. uncooked white quinoa
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 pack cherry tomatoes, sliced
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 1/4 -1.2 cup fresh parsley, minced
- optional: pine nuts
Instructions
For the Dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a glass measuring cup, jar or bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Add water if necessary to thin. Pour over tabouli and gently stir until thoroughly mixed.
For the Salad:
Thoroughly rinse quinoa. Best way is to cover with water in a bowl or pot, agitate with you hands, pour into a sieve and repeat 2-3 times with fresh water.
Add quinoa to a pot with 1.5 cups of water, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
Cool and fluff with a fork. When cool add cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and pine nuts, if using.
Pour dressing over tabouli and gently stir until thoroughly mixed.
This salad is best eaten fresh, but will keep in the fridge for one day if properly stored.