Quinoa Tabouli
Tabouli, a favorite Lebanese dish, made even healthier with protein-rich quinoa. This flavorful and delicious recipe was featured on BonAppetit.com!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
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2019 update: I actually recommend following my authentic tabbouleh recipe instead of this one (see the recipe notes for quinoa instructions). Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to making better tabbouleh, and you’ll find those in my other post.
This summer, my A/C window units are failing miserably in their fight against the relentlessly hot weather and the heat produced by my kitchen appliances. Every time I turn on the stove, I sweat up a storm and curse the heat, but I’m not about to give up and go out to eat for every meal. I’ve adapted by seeking out recipes that either don’t require cooking at all, or recipes that require minimal cooking and make great leftovers, like this one. It yields about six cups of salad, which I’ll ration out over the next few days.
Tabbouleh, a classic Middle Eastern dish, is one of my all-time favorite salads. I order it every time I spot it on a menu. I’ve found that some more Americanized versions skimp on flavor by cutting back on the herbs and vegetables, but my recipe is about as flavorful as tabbouleh can be. Packed with summer produce, tabbouleh would be a terrific potluck dish for Independence Day!
Traditional tabbouleh is plenty good for you, but quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) provides more protein, amino acids and minerals than bulgur wheat. Quinoa, unlike bulgur wheat, isn’t actually a grain. According to Power Foods, one of my awesome new cookbooks, quinoa is the seed of a plant related to chard and spinach. Combined with greens, lots of vegetables, and healthy fat, quinoa tabbouleh as nutritious as it is delightful.
I used black quinoa for this salad, but red or a tri-color blend would be delicious as well. I don’t like white quinoa—it’s bland in taste and blah in color. The dark shade of this quinoa contrasts with the brightly colored vegetables and herbs, which produces a striking salad. Feel free to top it with feta cheese!
Quinoa Tabouli
Healthy tabouli made with quinoa that is loaded with flavor. Delicious as a side dish or light meal!
Ingredients
- 1 cup black or red quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 cucumber, seeded and finely diced
- 1 bunch curly parsley, chopped
- 10 mint leaves, finely chopped
- one small red onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- juice of two lemons
- ¼ cup olive oil (more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- splash of white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar (optional, add if you think it needs a little extra kick)
Instructions
- To make the quinoa, first rinse one cup of quinoa in a mesh colander under running water. That washes away the bitter saponins on the surface.
- Dump the rinsed quinoa into a medium sized pan on the stove. Add two cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Cover and simmer for fifteen to twenty minutes, until the water is absorbed. Once it’s done, remove from heat and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- Let the quinoa cool, then toss in the rest of your ingredients.
- Add more olive oil, salt or pepper, and/or vinegar to taste.
- If you have time, cover and let the salad chill in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, to let the flavors blend together.
Notes
- Inspired by several tabbouleh and quinoa salad recipes.
- Yields about 6 cups of salad.
- Fun fact: this recipe is featured in Bon Appetit’s 10 Best Quinoa Recipes from Around the Web slideshow!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
For more quinoa recipes, check out this post on quinoa for breakfast, and my recipes for cherry, arugula and quinoa salad and roasted tofu with steamed veggies. You might also like my colorful chickpea salad recipe. Enjoy!
Beautiful salad! Love the dark colour…
I am right now trying to eat more salads and soup and basically cut down on heavy foods… I am sure I am going to try this recipe :)
your blog is SO gorgeous!! i found it through your smoothie recipe (banana+flax) and i can’t wait to try it, along with your whole wheat banana bread.
Thanks, Ariel! Please let us know how everything turns out!
That looks fantastic! I bet it’s so nice and refreshing. I know exactly what you mean, trying to limit how much heat I put into the house, but I want to cook! And eat! :D
This salad looks gorgeous!
That looks really good and healthy also
Love this quinoa recipe!
Love this! Such a great idea with quinoa.
such a creative use of quinoa! i love the stuff and agree with you about the red and black varieties being better than the white. bookmarked this one with my cookmarked.com account ( http://cookmarked.com ) !
This is fantastic! I didn’t have peppers, and I left out the mint (making it for some friends who don’t like it), and it still came out incredibly delicious. I also cooked the quinoa in veggie broth, which really gave it a nice flavor.
Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been looking for a gluten-free option for tabbouleh.
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Victoria! I’m sure it was delicious without the peppers and mint. I just love quinoa!
Kate – I made this quinoa tabouli for a church pot luck in the SOUTH. Guess what? It was gone! I am sure that is not a surpirse to you, but among the BBQ chicken, hot dogs, cheesy cheesy mac and cheese and taste-less salads (I am sure you can envision this…), this “red-seed-looking-things -and-vegetables” was a huge hit. I was making a risky move bringing this…thanks for the awesome recipe. (BTW, I added a bit too much red wine vinegar/apple cider vinegar so I drizzzled in some agave to take the edge off the tang).
Yes! So happy to hear this. I want to give you a high five for taking kale and quinoa to a Southern potluck! I know exactly the type of food and “salads” you mentioned. Great idea to counter the sharpness of vinegar with agave. So glad you liked it, thanks for the comment!
I made this a side dish for the baked falafel and it was delicious! Thanks Kate.
That sounds like a terrific combo. Thanks for commenting, Arif.
Quinoa is something that my wife introduced me to a few years ago. I enjoy it very much now! Delicious and healthy!
This is a great salad. Try adding some boiled shrimp.
Thanks, Jennifer!
I love your recipes. I think they look super healthy and tasty, I cannot wait to try them out. However, would you be able to post the calorie content for each recipe? It would be super helpful for those who are trying to stick to a diet. Thanks!
Hey Rachel, I’m sorry, I don’t provide nutrition details. They vary widely depending on serving size, actual ingredients used, etc. I would hate to provide inaccurate information to my readers.
You can look up the recipe on myfitnesspal.com if you’d like to see their estimates. If you do, please feel free to share your results in the comments section for the recipe!
I add a can of chickpeas to the recipe and according to my fitness pal it is 333 calories per serving. Chickpeas ups the protein content considerably which makes it a great salad for lunch. I love this salad and make it often.
I love this recipe, but because my sons girlfriend isn’t a big fan of parsley, I put a little less parsley and added romaine lettuce and put a whole lot of more lemon, cause that’s just how I like. I love it!
One (tiny) adjustment…There is no mention of cutting the tomatoes in half. After making and eating this I wondered if I missed that part of the instructions so I went back and checked. The photo shows them halved but there is no mention in the recipe. Halving them keeps them from rolling off the fork and also allows them to absorb the flavors. For people that follow instruction implicitly, this would be a sensible inclusion. Other than that….it is DELICIOUS.
Approximately how much lemon juice did you get from two lemons? The size of lemons vary greatly, especially between organic and regular.
That’s a good point. I didn’t measure lemon juice back then, but I do now. :) I generally estimate about 2 tablespoons per lemon. This is an easy recipe to adjust to taste.
Love the tabouli! Not a fan of mint, I substituted lemon balm, which is abundant in my backyard. Although it’s in the mint family, I find it to be milder, and love it in tea. Deleted peppers and used only 1 lemon. Now, how am I supposed to wait several hours or overnight to enjoy this salad?!! Thanks for your consistently fabulous recipes!
Its pretty healthy thanks for sharing your recipe i love quinoa and tabuli. It’s Arabic salad
You’re welcome, Lilian! I love this, too.
Kate
My mother was born in Aley, a city in Lebanon at the foot of the Beka Mtns. My grandparents owned a Syrian bakery for many years, and my grandmothers recipe for tabbouleh was considered one of the best in our Lebanese neighborhood.
Ingredients are simple, parsley,scallions,and tomatoes. Situ (grandmother) used bulgar wheat, but I’ve switched to quinoa for its healthy benefits. Salt & pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and a dash of cayenne pepper for a little heat. A good extra virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon is all it takes to finish it off. The allspice and cinnamon really bring out some great flavors. It’s a staple in my house for lunch, dinner and a quick snack between meals.
My fave tabbouleh recipe! Great fresh flavours, especially if made with organic ingredients. I throw in a 14 oz can of drained and rinsed chickpeas (garbanzos) and some crumbled feta cheese to up the protein content (as I am not a vegan). It’s a meal in itself and super healthy.
Awesome! The chickpeas would make it super hearty, I’ll have to try that.
how long does this keep in the fridge? I had planned to make it for lunches for the week ahead…
It should keep well for your lunch for the week. Towards the end of the week, the herbs might start to breakdown. Enjoy!
I really liked the flavours of this salad but I found it a bit dry. Next time I make it I will add more of the dressing. Just a personal preference.
I’m sorry to hear that, Jennifer! Yes, add more dressing if you like. Thanks for sharing and for your review!
Lately, I’ve been making tabouli with quinoa instead of bulgur (even before discovering your recipe), because of the proteins in the quinoa. I haven’t used red quinoa though, but I might give it a try.
Let me know what you think!
This was AMAZING! So fresh and delicious! The best tabbouleh EVER!!!
Thank You Kate!!!
You’re welcome, Connie!
What is the spice. It’s not a very pleasent smell or aftertaste. I notice it in all Mediterranean dishes. Pungent smell
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one! It could be Mediterranean dishes aren’t for you. I appreciate the feedback!
How many cups of chopped parsley would be equivalent to one bunch? I am harvesting it from my garden so I don’t know how much is typically in a bunch
This is my first comment after trying multiple online recipes. This quinoa tabouli recipe is absolutely delicious. I did leave out the mint.
My husband ate 3 servings and said he could eat this everyday. Lots of wonderful flavors burst on the taste buds with the first bite! We’re trying to eat healthy, less inflammatory foods…this fits perfectly. Thank you
I’m happy you love this one, Sarah! Thanks for sharing.
Going to make this for friends who are coming for lunch as a side dish. The wife of our friend is reportedly a picky eater so if she doesnt like this…no problem more for me LOL.
I know you pointed us to your newer tabouli recipe, but I am loyal to this one. It is crunchy and delicious. It reminds me of a tabouli-ish salad my Mom used to make in the summertime.
Hello,
Hope all is, and will always stay well with you and yours.
I am wondering whether you could let me know why in some recipes associated with cooking quinoa, you recommend cooking with the lid on, and others with the lid off.
Hope this doesn’t sound like an odd question.
Best to you,
Orysia