I was hosting a birthday party dinner and made this Quinoa Tabbouleh to go with the Salmon with Pineapple Mango Salsa I was serving as the main course.
I will admit that I don’t cook with Quinoa as often as I should. it is much better for you than Rice and just as easy to make.
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Benefits of Quinoa
- Quinoa has less calories and carbs than rice.
- It has more protein than rice.
- Quinoa they say, keeps you full for longer than rice.
- It can help with weight loss.
Keep in mind that a little goes a long way. One cup of uncooked Quinoa will yield about 3 cups cooked. So if you are going to modify the recipe, keep that in mind.
Cooking Quinoa
While not necessary, you might want to rinse the quinoa before cooking it. Most of the quinoa available in stores is “pre-rinsed” but it can’t hurt by running it under a little more water “just in case”.
My preferred method for making fluffy quinoa is to use 1 3/4 cups of liquid for every 1 Cup of Quinoa. Combine the quinoa and liquid in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork and serve.
If you are looking to squeeze even more flavor out of the quinoa, substitute the water for some low sodium chicken broth. The quantities and cooking method remain the same regardless of which liquid you use.
If you are not familiar with Tabbouleh, it’s a salad typically made of finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. We tweaked the traditional Tabbouleh recipe to adapt to this Quinoa dish.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Quinoa Tabbouleh recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Water, Sea Salt, Tomatoes, Green Onions, Fresh Parsley, Quinoa, Olive Oil, Fresh Lemon Juice, Cucumbers and Mint Leaves.
How to Make Quinoa Tabbouleh
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from heat and allow the quinoa to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, mint leaves and parsley.
- Fold the vegetable mixture into the cooled quinoa. Serve.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
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Ingredients
- 1 ¾ Cups Water
- ½ Tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 3 Tomatoes, diced
- 2 bunches Green Onions, diced
- 1 Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 English Cucumber, diced
- 3 Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove from heat and allow the quinoa to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, mint leaves and parsley.
- Fold the vegetable mixture into the cooled quinoa. Serve.
I love this Quinoa Tabbouleh. Very tasty. I only used 1 mint leave as that was all I had on hand, but it was delicious just the same. Next time I will make sure I have more mint leaves. This recipe is great as a side dish or even for lunch.