Quinoa Tabbouleh
Fri, July 25, 2008 at 12:46PM 
One of my favorite veggie salads is Tabbouleh, and I buy it from the Whole Foods deli when I get a chance. I found an easy-to-follow recipe at The Nourishing Gourmet for Quinoa Tabbouleh.
Cook quinoa according to the package instructions, typically rinsed, strained and boiled. Definitely rinse well before cooking. After rinsing twice, the water was still a bit cloudy. After boiling and simmering, the water should be absorbed. Rinse with cold running water through a strainer and refrigerate 1-2 hours. The consistency of cooked quinoa was very sticky like oatmeal cereal. Chop the veggies and add to the chilled quinoa. Mix the lemon juice and olive oil and pour on top of the salad. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Substitutions & Adjustments
Because I love cilantro, I substituted fresh cilantro for parsley and mint to give it a bit of a kick. Although I did not deseed the cucumber, I removed some seeds from the tomatoes so they weren't gooey. Substituted orange pepper for red pepper. Used kosher salt instead of table salt. Arrowhead Mills Organic Quinoa does not require overnight soaking, so I'd recommend it.
The Quinoa Tabbouleh was light and refreshing. I found it a bit too lemony, so I added a tablespoon of red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of lime juice to provide a balance. Some folks may not like the texture of quinoa, and they might try this with the standard bulgar or perhaps couscous.
This dish would be delicious served with toasted whole wheat pita bread. My husband thought that it was "OK" and recommended serving it as a side dish with grilled steak or salmon. It was so easy, so healthy and packed with protein that I expect to add it to my regular repetoire.
Reader Comments (1)
I've never had quinoa before, but I've heard that it's really good for you. We do eat our fair share of couscous, though. :)