Tabbouleh (or tabouli) is a Middle Eastern salad made with fresh chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bulgur wheat with a tart lemon and olive oil dressing. This Lebanese quinoa tabbouleh salad swaps bulgur for quinoa for a refreshing side dish that's vegan, gluten free, and delicious!
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines have many vegan options from falafel (fried chickpea patties) to baba ghanoush (smoked eggplant dip), and if you order a veggie plate at a Lebanese restaurant, you're sure to enjoy a generous helping of tabbouleh!
Tabbouleh is a delicious palate cleanser for a meal full of rich flavors, and it makes a wonderful filling for a pita wrap. This version made with quinoa instead of bulgur comes with an extra helping of protein and vitamins (plus, your gluten free friends can enjoy it too!).
One of my favorite takeout meals is the veggie combo from a local Lebanese restaurant in Chicago called Taste of Lebanon. It comes with falafel, chopped lettuce and veggies, grape leaves, tabbouleh, and a side of pita.
Whether I'm growing parsley in the garden or just picked up a few bunches at the grocery store, I love recreating this dish that I've enjoyed at restaurants over the years at home.
Quinoa tabbouleh salad is the perfect addition to a meal of falafel, hummus, and Lebanese Spinach Pies!
🌱 Ingredients
- Quinoa
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Parsley
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Green onion
- Fresh mint (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
Quinoa
Tabbouleh is traditionally made with bulgur, a type of grain made from cracked wheat berries. This version of the dish calls for quinoa, a seed from the amaranth family that is eaten like a grain. Quinoa is rich in protein, fiber, and B vitamins, and it's naturally gluten free, making this version of tabbouleh gluten free.
Quinoa can be bitter straight out of the package since the shell has a coating that contains saponin, a bitter tasting compound, so make sure to give your quinoa a rinse under cool water before cooking.
If you want to take it a step further, you can dry toast your quinoa before cooking to give it a nutty, toasted flavor. Learn more about toasting your quinoa in my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad post, which also makes a great accompaniment to this tabbouleh on your plate!
Lemon Juice
Tabbouleh dressing calls for lots of lemon juice, so make sure to use the real thing for the best flavor! I like to use a citrus squeezer such as this one to get all the juice out of the lemons!
🔪 Instructions
Rinse your quinoa in a sieve or fine mesh strainer. Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large salad bowl.
Finely chop the parsley.
Dice the tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions.
Add the parsley, chopped veggies, and mint leaves (if using) to the dressing and stir to coat.
Add the cooled quinoa and stir to incorporate into the salad.
Taste and adjust flavors, then chill until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes to an hour.
🧊 Storage
Cover the bowl of tabbouleh or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. It actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have a chance to meld!
The acid in the lemon juice helps keep the salad preserved for longer, but it's best to enjoy it within a few days for freshness.
💭 Tips
The best way to chop fresh parsley is first cutting off the stems, then rolling up the bundle tightly and chopping through the bundle.
To chop it finely, hold your knife parallel to your body, hold down the tip of your knife and move the knife back and forth in a fan motion while chopping to finely mince it.
❓ FAQs
Tabbouleh and tabouli are two different spellings of the same dish! You can use them interchangeably. I actually use tabouli more often than tabbouleh, but found that tabbouleh is the more common spelling, so I used that one for this post.
Tabbouleh is best served chilled as a side dish with your favorite Mediterranean or Middle Eastern dishes such as falafel, hummus, and pita.
📖 Recipe
Lebanese Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Tabbouleh (or tabouli) is a Middle Eastern salad made with fresh chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bulgur wheat with a tart lemon and olive oil dressing. This Lebanese quinoa tabbouleh salad swaps bulgur for quinoa for a refreshing side dish that's vegan, gluten free, and delicious!
Ingredients
- ½ cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bunches parsley
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- 3 green onions
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse your quinoa in a sieve or fine mesh strainer.
- Combine the quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large salad bowl.
- Finely chop the parsley and dice the tomatoes and cucumber.
- Chop the green onions into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the parsley, chopped veggies, and mint leaves (if using) to the dressing and stir to coat.
- Add the cooled quinoa and stir to incorporate into the salad.
- Taste and adjust flavors, then chill until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes to an hour.
Notes
- Quinoa has a bitter coating called saponin that can make your dishes taste bitter. Rinsing your quinoa under cool water can help remove some of the bitterness.
- The best way to chop fresh parsley is first cutting off the stems, then rolling up the bundle tightly and chopping through the bundle. To chop it finely, hold your knife parallel to your body, hold down the tip of your knife and move the knife back and forth in a fan motion while chopping to finely mince it.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: ⅙ of recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
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