Gluten-Free Quinoa Tabouli (2024)

My Quinoa Tabouli is a gluten-free spin on a classic Middle Eastern dish.

I have adapted this popular dish to a Gluten-Free Tabouli, to suit people with dietary requirements, or those looking to cut down their carb intake.

Wikipedia advises that Tabouli is originally from the mountains between Syria and Lebanon.

It is a staple in Lebanese homes and is one of the most popular salads throughout the Middle East. As with Hummus, Baba Ganoush and Falafel, Tabouli is now popular throughout the world.

Tabouli, also known as tabbouleh, is traditionally madeusing bulgur wheat. I have converted the recipe to a gluten-free version byusing quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) instead.

The inclusion of quinoa also gives the salad a boost ofprotein. This makes it a healthy choice for vegetarians or those who follow aplant-based diet.

This is a vibrant, fresh-tasting, healthy salad which iseasily made. The green in tabouli is mostly provided by fresh parsley. However,fresh mint and spring onions/scallions are also included, and some cherrytomatoes add colour to the dish. Finally, a simple dressing of extra virginolive oil and fresh lemon juice heightens and brightens the flavours.

Tabouli is not just delicious to eat; this is also an extremelyhealthy, nutritious dish. The fresh herbs, spring onions/scallions and tomatoescontain generous amounts of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. The quinoacontributes protein.

As with so many delicious foods, it is the balance offlavours that makes a dish successful. This is the case, too, with tabouli. Iprefer my tabouli with a lot of parsley and the vibrant tang of lemon.

You can serve this as a nutritious side dish, part of a mezeor as a stand-alone, light meal.

I use these ingredients in my Quinoa Tabouli:

Quinoa:

For this recipe, I have used a mixture of quinoa which contains three colours. However, you could use just one variety. The white quinoa is the one most often used.

Flat Leaf/Continental Parsley:

I prefer the flavour and texture of flat leaf/continentalparsley. However, you could use the curly leaf variety if you prefer.

Fresh Mint:

Fresh mint adds a vibrant burst of flavour to sweet andsavoury dishes. Please do not be tempted to use the dried herb.

Spring Onions/Scallions/Green Onions:

This is the same ingredient, known by different names.They are members of the onion family but have a much milder flavour, making themideal to use in salads.

Cherry Tomatoes:

My preference is for cherry tomatoes as I find them togenerally be sweeter than larger ones. However, if you grow your own tomatoesor have a reliable source it’s perfectly fine to use larger ones. I would thenrecommend that you remove the seeds before using to get rid of excess tomatojuices.

Lemon Juice:

Please use fresh lemon juice; the flavour is much fresherand brighter than the bottled variety. The salad should have a lemony tang.

Olive Oil:

I have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil; it has superior flavouralong with a number of nutritional benefits.

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper:

Add these ingredients to your taste. I highly recommend good quality sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper for maximum flavour.

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is something of a culinary superstar. It iscurrently one of the most popular health foods. Highly nutritious, it is acomplete protein, ideal for vegetarians and vegans as it contains all the aminoacids and many vitamins and minerals.

Quinoa is an ancient crop, originally from the Andes, and isthe seed of a plant which is related to Swiss chard, beets and spinach. It hasbeen grown in South America for thousands of years.

It has the versatility of rice and can be used in sweet or savoury dishes. Serve quinoa with a stir-fry, use risotto-style or in a myriad of variations in salads.

I have used Quinoa in this dish to create a Gluten-Free Tabouli.

Quinoa comes in three different colours. The most popular is white but there is also red and black.

There are slight flavour differences.

White Quinoa – this has the most delicate flavour. It is the most tender and cooks the fastest. In addition, it will be fluffier than the other varieties.

Red Quinoa – this is slightly nuttier than the white variety and has a slightly chewier texture.

Black Quinoa – this variety is slightly sweeter and a little earthier than the white. It has a crunchy texture and may take a little longer to cook.

This is how I make the Quinoa Tabouli:

To begin, I rinse the quinoa to remove an outer coating,called saponin. It is a naturally occurring chemical which detersinsects. It does, however, have a bitter flavour so it is important tovigorously rinse the quinoa before cooking.

The quinoa is cooked by the absorption method, similar to amethod used for cooking rice.

I add the well-drained quinoa to a saucepan and add double the amount of water. I bring it to the boil, then simmer, covered for 8-10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the seeds are cooked.

This is an approximate cooking time. The actual time willvary depending on the variety or the age of the quinoa. I check a few minutesbefore the suggested cooking time so that I don’t overcook the quinoa.

You will be able to see when the quinoa is cooked. You willnotice that the seeds have little curly “tails”.

When the quinoa is cooked, I remove the saucepan from theheat and place 3 layers of kitchen paper or a clean tea towel over the pan. Icover it with the lid and set it aside for 5 minutes. The kitchen paper/teatowel will absorb any excess moisture.

I fluff the cooked quinoa lightly with a fork then place itinto a bowl and allow it to completely cool. Finally, I add the remainingingredients, toss them gently together and adjust the seasoning if necessary.It should have a bright, lemony tang.

The Gluten-Free Tabouli keeps well for a few days in the fridge. In fact, the flavours develop a little more over time.

Tips for success:

For the best flavour, you need to find the freshest flat-leaf/continental parsley that you can find.

Despite the temptation, do not use a food processor to chopthe herbs. The processor will bruise the leaves. Instead, you will need a verysharp knife. Gather the herbs together, hold them firmly with one handand with the other hand, very finely slice them.

You can use a small amount of the parsley stalk but shouldonly use the mint leaves.

Using ripe, but firm tomatoes is essential. I like to usecherry tomatoes as they are generally sweeter. However, you can use largetomatoes. If using large tomatoes, I prefer to remove and discard the seeds.Too much of the tomato juice will make the salad soggy. Alternatively, you candice the tomatoes ahead of time and drain the excess juice.

When it comes to making tabouli, there are regionalvariations. Lebanese tabouli traditionally has parsley as the star ingredient;however, ratios vary throughout the Middle East. Customise the ratio ofingredients to suit your personal taste.

For the best flavour, always use freshly squeezed lemonjuice. The tabouli should have a bright, lemony tang.

My choice is extra virgin olive oil. It is the best olive oil available, being extracted naturally by the ancient method of pressing the olives. It, therefore, retains the flavour and nutrients of the olive fruit.

When it comes to serving my Quinoa Tabouli:

There are a number of ways in which to enjoy tabouli.Firstly, it is perfect as part of a meze. Spread it onto a large, shallowplatter. You could serve it with pita bread, hummus, baba ganoush, olives andfalafel.

In addition, it is also traditionally served in smalllettuce cups as an appetiser.

Alternatively, serve it as a side dish. It is an idealaccompaniment to grilled meats, poultry or fish.

Serve it as a light, nutritious main meal. Add somechickpeas or feta to the tabouli. Whilst not traditional, they work welltogether and add a boost of protein. Alternatively, if you have some leftoverroast chicken top the tabouli with a few strips.

Use the sunny, bright flavours of parsley, spring onions,tomato, lemon and mint to create the salad that is just right for you. Toachieve your preferred style, just taste as you go. Not only is this saladfresh and bright, it has great texture.

You can make the tabouli one day ahead as the flavours willdevelop even further. Cover and refrigerate.

To add another layer of protein, top the tabouli with fetacheese or add a few chickpeas.

Delicious!

Love quinoa as much as we do? Be sure to also try:

• Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa, Mandarin and Spinach Salad

And if you’re looking for other great vegan salads, try:

• Sweet and Sour Carrot Salad
• Marinated Tomato Salad
• Orange, Spinach and Pomegranate Salad
• Charred Corn and Black Bean Salad
• Pumpkin, Cranberry and Almond Salad