Quinoa tabbouleh is quick to whip up, especially when you find yourself with leftover quinoa. Full of brightly colored and healthy veg and herbs, it makes an exceptional lunch on busy days.
Adapted from Bettina Campolucci-Bordi | 7 Day Vegan Challenge | Hardie Grant, 2020
This is a great salad to take along to work or have readymade, waiting for you in the fridge after a long day. Great scooped with baby gem, on a bed of hummus or simply scooped up with bread. It’s perfect as a lunch box or fridge staple.–Bettina Campolucci-Bordi
HOW LONG WILL QUINOA TABBOULEH SALAD LAST IN THE FRIDGE?
On its own, quinoa is good for up to 5 days in the fridge. When you add fresh vegetables and dressing, it does reduce the time a little bit–down to 3 days. But that’s still enough time for a couple of quick lunches in a week or 2 lunches and a picnic. Or a picnic, an after school snack, and a leisurely brunch. You get the idea.
☞ Contents
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature
- 1 (5 oz) yellow bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes
- 1 (5 oz) red bell pepper cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes
- 1 (6 oz) tomato deseeded and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes
- 1/2 (5 oz) red onion cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes
- 1 handful of fresh parsley (1 oz | 28 g) chopped
- 1 handful of fresh mint (1 oz | 28 g) chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Little gem (bibb) lettuce leaves for scooping
- Hummus for serving
Directions
- In a large bowl, place the cooked and cooled quinoa.
- Add the peppers, tomato, onion, parsley, and mint and mix well.
- Drizzle in the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with the allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well so everything is thoroughly combined.
- Serve with lettuce leaves for scooping and hummus on the side.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This quinoa tabbouleh play on traditional tabbouleh is deliciously refreshing. It has a wonderful balance of crisp fresh vegetables and grains. The use of quinoa and allspice combined with less parsley than the traditional tabbouleh gave it a lighter taste.
But then… spreading a piece of Bibb lettuce with hummus and adding a layer of this tabbouleh was just delicious. In fact, for my next dinner party, I may serve these already made up, folded like a spring roll, and held together with a toothpick. What a great appetizer it will make. We also ate the tabbouleh on its own as a side with dinner and that was delicious, too.
Crunchy, colorful, packed with fresh veggies, herbs, and protein-rich quinoa, this quinoa tabbouleh is a breeze to make and healthy as heck. The allspice is a surprising addition that gives a smoky background whisper. I think next time I make it, I’ll add cubed feta for some zing.
The recipe is spot-on for all of the ingredients, they’re perfectly balanced. I cooked the quinoa the night before so it made for a quick lunch before work with flank steak on the grill.
It would be great for a BBQ or a picnic. The tabbouleh keeps well for 2-3 days, so I had good stuff to take to work. This will definitely be on repeat!
As a gluten-free eater, quinoa has been my go-to grain for making tabbouleh for a couple decades now. Properly cooked, it has the texture and bite to stand up to the dressing in a way most of the other alternative grains do not. This recipe for quinoa tabbouleh varies from the standard versions by adding more vegetables in the form of the bell peppers. It makes for a very summery salad with some extra crunch. The important thing for any quinoa salad is to make sure that the quinoa is cooked to be fluffy and dry. Soggy quinoa makes a soggy salad. I like to use my rice cooker for quinoa, on the setting for and using the same proportions as white rice, but stovetop methods also work if you don’t use too much water. I like a ratio of 1.5 cups of water per cup of quinoa. I served this as a stand-alone salad main dish with some corn-on-the-cob.
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Craig Relyea
This quinoa tabbouleh is a very tasty salad. As your freshly made quinoa is chilling, you can prepare all the rest of the ingredients. When the quinoa is chilled (TIP- I let mine chill for 2 hours on a quarter sheet pan to chill quickly) everything comes together with a few stirs of the spoon! The fresh veggies, herbs and spices harmoniously come together in a great side dish. I served mine alongside some shrimp. Wonderful.