In this tabbouleh with a twist recipe, I am replacing the bulgur wheat used in the classic tabbouleh recipe with a protein-packed quinoa to boost the nutritional value and have a more nourishing salad.
Quinoa Tabbouleh:
It is an easy Vegan salad recipe that you can incorporate into your plant-based diet, or any diet in fact! It is simple to make, only a few ingredients are needed:
Recipe ingredients & notes:
- Quinoa: which is a pseudocereal that is naturally gluten-free and has many nutritional values. It is rich in fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals and high in protein, therefore it is good for those who follow a plant-based diet specifically.
- Parsley: is the key ingredient in tabbouleh
- Tomatoes: it is preferred to use round tomatoes that are a bit firm.
- Red onion
- Green onion: can be omitted if you don’t want your tabbouleh to be too oniony but highly recommended to keep it. I usually use the green part only but feel free to use the whole thing if you wish.
- Mint: use fresh mint leaves, but if you do not have, you can use dry mint and make sure to use less than the amount mentioned in the recipe for fresh mint leaves.
- For making the dressing all you need:
- Fresh lemon juice
- Olive oil.
- Pomegranate molasses is a must-add ingredient to any tabbouleh recipe. If unfamiliar with it, it is a very common ingredient in Middle Eastern and Arabic cuisine. In Arabic, it is called “dibis al roman”. It is used widely as a condiment, it’s basically a pomegranate juice that is cooked to a very thick consistency. It is not as sweet as the word “molasses” indicate. Actually, it tastes sour and adds a great sourness to the lemon in this recipe. Highly recommended to use for making quinoa tabbouleh.
- Salt, and pepper: for seasoning.
Making quinoa tabbouleh:
- Prepping and cooking the quinoa: It is the only thing that requires cooking in this recipe, I am using white quinoa. The key to cooking the perfect quinoa is to rinse it first under cold water for a minute to remove the bitterness. Then cook it as per package instructions. Mine was a 1:2 quinoa to water ratio. Let it boil first then simmer with the lid closed for 20 minutes. Turn the heat off and keep the lid closed for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes fluff it with a fork, and you will have a perfectly cooked quinoa. Set aside to cool.
- Prep the rest of the veggies: finely chop the parsley, red onion, mint leaves, tomatoes, and green onion.
- Mix the salad dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Once the quinoa is cooled to room temperature, transfer it to your salad bowl. Add all the chopped veggies. Add the salad dressing. Mix everything till well combined and serve!
How & with what to serve your tabbouleh:
- It is perfect as it is, served as a starter or a side dish.
- Add it to romaine lettuce leaves, that is how I prefer to have my tabbouleh.
- Serve it with Vegan bread as a light meal by itself!
How to store the salad:
Quinoa tabbouleh is one of these salads that once you add the dressing, has to be consumed immediately, otherwise it will just get soggy mush!
if you wish to prep it in advance or make a big batch, store the quinoa separately in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Other veggies can be stored in a separate air-tight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Dressing as well can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Once ready to eat just assemble the salad, drizzle the dressing, and enjoy.
Recommended Recipes:
If salads are your thing, then I highly recommend you try these plant-based salads next!
- Autumn salad, is a delicious salad with all your favorite fall flavors!
- Beetroot salad is a true celebration of beetroot!
- Eggplant salad, an authentic Iraqi salad.
- Zaatar salad, with aromatic fresh zaatar.
- Mediterranean quinoa salad is a tasty Mediterranean salad featuring quinoa and chickpeas, a must-try Vegan recipe by The Green Loot!
If you make this recipe, I’d love a comment, and to rate this recipe. Please make sure to tag me in re-creation on Instagram @veganbilaraby. I love to see your take on my vegan recipes 💚
Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe
Ingredients
Quinoa tabbouleh salad ingredients:
- ¼ cup quinoa uncooked
- 4 cups parsley finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes medium size, finely chopped
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- 1 green onion chopped,green part only
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves chopped
Salad dressing ingredients:
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup pomegerenate molasses.
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
- pomegranate seeds for topping
- Romain lettuce leaves for serving
Instructions
Prepping & cooking the quinoa:
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water for 1 minute & then cook it as per package instruction.
- Turn the heat off, and let it rest for 10 minutes with the lid closed. Then open the lid, fluff it with a fork, and let it cool down to room temperature.
Making quinoa tabbouleh:
- In a small jar/bowl mix the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- In a big bowl, add the chopped parsley, tomato , red onion, green onion, mint leaves and mix well.
- Add the cooled quinoa and mix.
- Add the dressing and mix well to combine.
- Add the pomegranate seeds if using and serve them on a lettuce leaves. Enjoy.
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