Tabouleh Made With Quinoa

Tabouleh is a salad type dish from the Middle East that is usually made with bulgar wheat and a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs.  Here in the South it is quite popular, and you frequently see it offered on restaurant salad bars. You can even find pre-spiced packages of bulgar wheat for making Tabouleh in the produce section of most grocery stores.  In my opinion, however, Tabouleh is a dish that should be made from scratch and with only the freshest ingredients.  

While I really enjoy the Tabouleh made from bulgar wheat, I rarely use that ingredient anymore.  Instead, I've started making Tabouleh using quinoa.  To learn more about quinoa and how to cook it, read my post here.  I like adding something to my diet that is not another wheat product, and since I usually have quinoa already prepared, it makes this a quick dish to put together.

Ingredients for 1 Full Plate:

This is how much I make for me alone, but I would probably call this 2 servings.

1      Cup Prepared Quinoa, room temperature

1/3   Cup Chopped Parsley, curley or flat

1      Cucumber, chopped

2      Roma Tomatoes, chopped

3      Green Onions, sliced - include the tops

1      Small Garlic Clove, pressed (optional)

2      tsp. Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed only

1      tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - or to taste

1/4   tsp. Salt

For Variety, try adding Pepper (black or bell), Mint or Cilantro

This is pretty simple.  Just wash your vegetables and chop them to the size you prefer.  Mix all the ingredients together, and that is it!  Serve immediately, or let the flavors mingle for 1/2-1 hour.

Honestly, you have to make this.  It is so fresh and absolutely delicious.  It also sticks with you much better than a salad because of the protein in the quinoa.  Yum-O!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ellie