This easy quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe uses quinoa in place of bulger, making this recipe gluten-free! Quinoa is also a great source of plant-based protein. Make this recipe for a quick and easy side dish! 

While tabbouleh is traditionally made with bulgar, most people probably don’t have bulgur in their pantry, and if you’re gluten-free, then you’re out of luck. So this version of tabbouleh uses quinoa (come on, you have to have quinoa in your pantry at all times), and it’s gluten-free, so even more of you can enjoy it!

quinoa tabbouleh

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa is technically a seed but it cooks like a grain. It has a slightly nutty flavor. You can usually find it at the grocery store near the rice. Quinoa is a fantastic ingredient to add to your diet, especially if you’re a vegetarian. It’s one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Tips for perfect quinoa tabbouleh

  • Make sure you rinse your quinoa before cooking. Quinoa can have a bitter flavor, and rinsing gets rid of some of the bitterness.
  • I love making quinoa in my rice cooker because it gives me fluffy quinoa every time!
  • Make sure you use fresh parsley! That’s essential for this recipe, so dried parsley won’t work in this case.

This quinoa tabbouleh recipe is super easy to make, and you can quickly turn this into a whole meal if you just add a little feta or falafel!

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quinoa tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh

  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Salad
  • Cuisine: Middle Eastern
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Description

This easy quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe uses quinoa in place of bulger, making this recipe gluten-free! Quinoa is also a great source of plant-based protein. Make this recipe for a quick and easy side dish! 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 medium cucumber, sliced and quartered
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 3/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil and simmer until the water is absorbed about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Once the quinoa is cooked, remove from heat and let it sit for a bit until it’s cooled.
  3. Toss the quinoa with your chopped veggies, garlic and parsley, then drizzle with olive oil.
  4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it!

Keywords: Quinoa Tabbouleh

quinoa tabbouleh salad gluten free

This quinoa tabbouleh is a perfect dish to make ahead of time and pack for lunch because I think it tastes even better the next day. The flavors have a chance to meld together, and it’s not the kind of salad that gets soggy. You could also add in some extra cucumbers and tomatoes if you want to bulk it up a little more.

This quinoa tabbouleh is vegan & gluten free! It's so easy to make and is perfect stuffed inside a pita, topped with feta, or eaten with a spoon!

Want to make this recipe even easier? Make your quinoa in a rice cooker ahead of time!

how to make fluffy quinoa in a rice cooker

Have you ever had tabbouleh salad?