Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

A light and fresh tabbouleh salad with quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers and loads of fresh parsley and mint in a bright lemon dressing.

Tabbouleh is a salad made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, plenty of parsley, and bulgur that is dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Although bulgur is the traditional ingredient in tabbouleh I sometimes like to change it up and use quinoa instead! This is a super light salad that is just packed with summery freshness with all of the chopped parsley, fresh tomatoes and cucumber along with the bright lemon juice; simply perfect for hot summer days!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4

A light and fresh tabbouleh salad with quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers and loads of fresh parsley and mint in a bright lemon dressing.

ingredients

2 cups water (or broth)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup tomato, diced
1 cup cucumber, diced
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

directions

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has all been absorbed, about 15 minutes, before letting it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, and then letting it cool to room temperature.
Mix the quinoa, tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint and green onion.
Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss with salad.

Option: Make a pomegranate salad dressing with 6 tablespoon olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic (minced or grated), and salt and pepper to taste. This makes 1 cup and you only need about 1/4 cup for the salad.