Tabbouleh, is a vegetarian salad that is very common in the middle east. Traditional tabbouleh is made with parsley, mint, onion, bulgur, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. However, in this recipe I have substituted bulgur with quinoa for my friends that have gluten allergies and basically because I love quinoa. I have tasted many versions of tabbouleh and some have been made with a combination of onions like red and white onions, but for this recipe I used green onions also known as scallions. I learned a few special techniques from some of my Lebanese friends when making this dish and it came down to the green onions and tomatoes. So, to make a proper variation of tabbouleh I replicated some of the techniques which consist of peeling the tomatoes and deseeding them, scoring the green onions at the white ends and finely chopping the white parts of the green onion. None of my friends used the greens from the green onion- seriously it was mind blowing for a food lover like me. It made all the difference in creating a perfect tasting tabbouleh. It’s these little techniques that can make a dish.
If you are in the mood for something light, healthy, and yummy I encourage you to make my quinoa tabbouleh. It is a great accompaniment to a main dish but can also be eaten by itself-seriously it’s that good.
Buen Provecho!
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Printable Version
Yield: Serves 4 Total Time: 15-30 minutes
Ingredients:
-2 Cups of Parsley
-1/2 Cup of Fresh Mint
-3 Green Onions (Scallions)
-4 Tomatoes
-1/3 Cup of Lemon Juice
-1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
-1/2 Cup of Tricolor Quinoa
-Kosher Salt
-Pepper
Equipment Needed:
-Cutting Board
-Knife
-Peeler
-Measuring Cup
-Juicer
-Fine Strainer
-Pot
-Serving Dishes
-Spatula
Prep:
-Rinse 2 bushels of fresh parsley, 3 green onions (scallions), a few stems of fresh mint,
and 4 tomatoes, then drain
-Get a cutting board and sharp knife
-Chop off the stems of the parsley and discard the stems, then finely chop the
parsley, measure 2 cups of finely chopped parsley and set aside
-Remove the stems from the mint and discard the stems, then finely chop the mint,
measure ½ cup of finely chopped mint and set aside
-Slice a thin layer of the green onion (scallion) bulb off and discard, then score the
green onions at the bottom (white section), finely chop the green onions chopping
only the whites of the green onions, then set aside the finely chopped onions
-Get a peeler and peel the tomatoes and discard the peel, then slice the tomato in half
(lengthwise), then rinse the seeds out in the sink (need to remove all the seeds
from the tomatoes)
-After the tomatoes are peeled and seeds have been removed, then finely chop the
tomatoes and set aside
-Slice 2 lemons and juice the lemons, measure 1/3 cup of lemon juice and set
aside
-Measure ¼ cup of olive oil and set aside
Directions:
Quinoa
-Get your bag of tricolor quinoa and pour 1 cup of quinoa over a fine strainer and rinse
with cold water to remove any residue and drain
-Get a pot and put it on the stove and turn the gas/electric knob to a low
setting
-Then put your drained quinoa on to the pot and gently sauté until you start to
hear the quinoa pop, making sure not to burn the quinoa, this process is important
and helps give the quinoa a nice flavor
-Once the quinoa has finished roasting pour 2 cups of water into the pot
-Gently boil the quinoa and then reduce to simmer, ensuring to cover the boiling pan
with a lid, this should take about 15 minutes and once it’s cooked it will feel soft and
look like a sprout emerged from the seed
-After the quinoa is cooked, set it aside and let it cool down
-After the quinoa is cooled down, measure ½ cup of quinoa and set aside
Quinoa Tabbouleh
-Get a large bowl
-Pour 2 cups of finely chopped parsley, ½ cup of finely chopped mint, 3 finely
chopped green onions (scallions) ½ cup of tricolor quinoa, and 4 finely chopped
tomatoes into the bowl
-Pour 1/3 cup of lemon juice, ¼ cup of olive oil into the bowl
-Add a 2-3 dashes of kosher salt to the bowl
-Add 1-2 dashes of black pepper to the bowl
-Get a spatula and gently fold all the ingredients in together until they are well mixed
-Serve
*****Feel free to add more of the ingredients and season to suit your taste buds*****