Quinoa Tabouli Salad
By: Gigi Howe
This has been my latest obsession. I’ve always enjoyed Tabouli, its such a delicious blend of flavors. Traditionally it is made with bulgur but the recipe I am sharing today calls for quinoa. Quinoa is a high protein and fiber grain. It comes in red, black and an ivory color. I’ve used the ivory and red. Its become a very popular grain in the past few years. There are many ways to prepare it. If you are a quinoa fan, let me know how you make it because I always like to try new recipes 🙂
Anyway, here’s my recipe for today. As you’ll see, I have some optional ingredients listed. Its up to you on what you would like to add or omit and your options are really limitless… I’ve seen beans, corn, zucchini and chicken added to this recipe.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup dry Quinoa, rinsed well
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
– 1/4 cup olive oil
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 4 scallions, minced
– 1 cup fresh parsley, minced
– 10 – 15 fresh mint leaves, minced or 1 -2 tablespoons dried
– 2 medium sized ripe tomatoes or 1 pint of grape tomatoes, diced
– 1 small cucumber, seeded and minced – optional
– 1 medium bell pepper, diced – optional
– Feta cheese – optional
– salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Boil 2 cups of salted water and slowly add the rinsed quinoa. Simmer, cover and let cook for 10-12 minutes until all the water is absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, transfer to a bowl and let cool.
2. Whisk lemon juice, oil and garlic, pour over quinoa. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving. It also tastes great if you wait to serve it the next day. Sprinkle with feta cheese if desired.
Enjoy!!