A refreshing and satisfying salad. Using quinoa in place of the traditional bulgur (cracked wheat) grain is an excellent way to make a high protein, high fiber version out of this classic Middle Eastern dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp mint, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
- ½ cucumber, diced
- ½ orange or yellow pepper, diced
- 1 can chick peas (optional)
To make:
- Rinse quinoa. Add quinoa, water, and a little salt to a pot, cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.
- While the quinoa is cooking, finely chop the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and scallions.
- Add lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs to the vegetable mix.
- Stir in cooked quinoa and add sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
For best flavours, it is best to let tabouli sit in the refrigerator for a day to blend and marinate, but this is not necessary. Tabouli is traditionally served at room temperature so remove from fridge 30 to 60 minutes before serving.
Heidi says: What is fabulous about quinoa is that it cooks like a grain but it is actually a new world seed! This fact provides a clue to its high nutritional value - seeds are much more power-packed than grains like wheat. Quinoa has high levels of protein, B vitamins, lysine, iron, and potassium.
