Gluten free tabbouleh with quinoa is light, refreshing, and healthy with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon, and parsley.
This is a gluten free tabbouleh recipe that uses quinoa instead of bulgur wheat which is generally in a classic Lebanese tabbouleh recipe (tabouli / tabouleh).
Variations on Gluten Free Quinoa Tabboulleh
Tabbouleh generally has a lot of olive oil but I find that it weighs it down and makes for soggy leftovers. This version has half the olive oil, making it a bit healthier.
Tabouli is a versatile dish - add more parsley if you like. Green onions are also good.
Preparing The Quinoa for Gluten Free Tabbouleh
Quinoa is a great substitute for bulgur wheat in Tabbouleh.
Cooking quinoa in teflon pots makes it easier not to burn the grains, but on the flip side nonstick can also make it soggier because the water doesn't evaporate as fast. It may take less water to grain ratio.
If you find that you consistently have liquid left after the grain is cooked then try less liquid next time.
Don't skip out on cooling down the quinoa. If it's warm it will make the ingredients wilt and release water. Nobody wants soggy Tabouleh.
How To Make Gluten Free Taboulleh
Gluten free tabouli is easy to make with quinoa.
- Cook the quinoa and let it cool before adding other fresh ingredients.
- Add the onions, cucumber, mint, parsley, tomatoes, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- Stir and add more lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste.
- Let cook for a couple hours in the refrigerator so the flavors have time to meld / blend together.
Gluten Free Quinoa Tabbouleh
EatSimpleFood.com
Quinoa tabbouleh is light, refreshing, and healthy with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon, and parsley. This is a gluten free tabbouleh recipe that uses quinoa instead of the bulgur wheat
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Low Fat, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quinoa
- 1 large cucumber, seeded
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
- ¾ cups parsley, chopped fine
- ¾ cup mint, chopped fine
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- zest from one lemon
- ¼ cup (~ 1-2 lemons) lemon juice, divided
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring 1 ¼ cup water, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium pan. Add quinoa, reduce heat, and simmer covered ~ 15-18 minutes or until water is absorbed.
- Lay cooked quinoa on a plate and put in the refrigerator to cool down. You want the quinoa cold or room temperature before adding remaining ingredients.
- Add cooled and cooked quinoa, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and remaining ingredients to a large bowl.
- Mix and add salt, lemon juice, and olive to taste.
- Let cool in the refrigerator for a couple hours so the flavors have time to meld / blend together.
Notes
- Cooking grains in teflon pots makes it easier not to burn the grains but on the flip side it makes it soggier and takes less water to grain ratio. If you find that you consistently have water left after the grain is cooked then try less liquid next time.
- Don't skip out on cooling down the quinoa. If it's warm it will make the ingredients wilt and release water.
Things In My Kitchen:
- Old School Juicer - my mama gave me one of these when I moved out decades ago. Still use it.
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Serving Suggestion
Serve this gluten free tabbouleh with complementary Mediterranean recipe, or pair it with easy pan sheet Salmon (a favorite in our house).
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