Personally, I find there’s a bit too much parsley in traditional tabbouleh. In my version, I bumped up the amount of grains and tomatoes to balance out the flavors more. Instead of using bulgur, I chose quinoa to make the salad gluten free. The quinoa works very well here, and it has slightly more protein per serving than bulgur.
Whenever I’m making this quinoa tabbouleh salad, I don’t actually follow a recipe. I usually eyeball the salad to see if it needs a more greens or tomatoes. As you make this recipe, you definitely want to taste as you go, adjusting the seasonings to whatever suits your taste. Over time, you’ll probably cook this quinoa tabbouleh salad without looking at the recipe, too!
COOKING NOTES FOR THE QUINOA TABBOULEH
- Soak red onions in lemon juice: The acid in the lemon juice helps take out the raw bite in the onions. Whenever I eat raw onions, there’s a strong aftertaste in my mouth that I don’t like. Soaking the onions in acid like lemon juice or vinegar helps neutralize the flavor.
- Optional Seasonings: In my quinoa salad, I also added some granulated garlic, sumac (for more lemony flavor), and paprika. Feel free to add whatever dried herbs and seasonings you have on hand!
Servings: 6 Servings
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (45g) chopped red onion
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 cups (550g) cooked quinoa*
- 2/3 cup (20g) chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup (15g) chopped fresh mint
- 1 1/2 cups (220g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 Persian cucumbers, diced (can sub with 1/2 English cucumber)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional Seasonings
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
- pinch of sumac
Instructions
- Add chopped red onions and lemon juice in a small bowl while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This helps take out some of the raw bite from the red onions.
- In a large bowl, mix quinoa, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, red onions and lemon juice together. Add salt and pepper to taste. I like adding a bit of granulated garlic, paprika, and sumac to my tabbouleh, but feel free to add whatever seasonings you enjoy.
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 to 3 days.
Notes
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Yields 6 servings. Amount per serving: Calories: 207, Total Fat 7.1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 18mg, Cholesterol: 0mg, Total Carbohydrate: 31g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g, Protein 7g
*1 cup uncooked quinoa yields about 3 to 4 cups cooked quinoa.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!
Rachel says
This looks wonderful. I’m actually totally new to cooking quinoa at home, so I think this will be a great entry level salad because it is otherwise familiar!
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Rachel! Your comment reminded me that I should add a note about rinsing the quinoa before cooking it! It helps get rid of the bitter taste.
Gem says
This looks so delicious and easy to make! May I know what is sumac and where I can get it?
Lisa Lin says
Hi Gem! There are a few places to get sumac. I found some at Trader Joe’s a while back. It was part of their “spice route” package that contained 4 different spices, and sumac was one of them. I also see sumac in a lot of ethnic supermarkets, usually packed in bags. Amazon also sells it, too: http://amzn.to/2ctCSYJ. The 7-oz. bag might be too much though. I also see it in natural foods stores. Hope this helps!
Suresh says
Really i like this reciepe
Lisa Lin says
Thanks!
traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Awwhhh one of my favorite Summer salads, Lisa and you’ve showcased it beautifully! I always go back and fourth with quinoa and bulger.. I’ve even used brown rice! But I’m a big parsley fan.. so I load up.. My husband, not so much. Beautiful work and SO delicious!
Lisa Lin says
Brown rice!! I need to try that some time, too!