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! 

quinoa tabbouleh

What is Tabbouleh Salad?

Tabbouleh salad is traditionally made with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onion, and bulgur. It’s a Levantine salad that is softened served as a side dish. Bulger is a kind of wheat, but I know many of you probably don’t have bulgur in your pantry. So this non-traditional version of tabbouleh uses quinoa instead!

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!

dried quinoa in a clear plastic container

Quinoa Tabbouleh Ingredients

  • Quinoa– This will replace the bulger used in traditional tabbouleh
  • Cucumber– Adds a lovely frensh crunch to the dish.
  • Tomatoes– I used cherry tomatoes but any kind of tomato can be chopped and used in this dish.
  • Fresh parsley– This is a must! Do not substitute with dried parsley.
  • Garlic– You can use fresh garlic or garlic powder.
  • Olive oil– I highly recommend a high quality olive oil which will have more flavor.
  • Salt & pepper– I included an amount suggestion but you can add these to taste.

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.
  • You can make quinoa on the stovetop, as the instructions will typically suggest, but you can also make quinoa in an Instant Pot or you can cook quinoa in a rice cooker!
  • Make sure you use fresh parsley! That’s essential for this recipe, so dried parsley won’t work in this case.
quinoa tabbouleh salad gluten free

How to Store Leftovers

This quinoa tabbouleh will last 3-4 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container. You can easily make this salad in advance, and I think the flavors are actually better after a couple of hours.

What to Serve with Quinoa Tabbouleh

This makes a great side dish for falafel or chickpea gyros. You could even turn this salad into a main dish if you added protein on top! To bulk up this dish, you can also serve it on a bed of mixed greens or chopped romaine.

More Quinoa Recipes

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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
  • 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

Units 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

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?