Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

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Why We Love Quinoa

Quinoa was a sacred crop for the Inca and continues to be a key ingredient for their Quechua and Aymara descendents. The Inca referred to quinoa as chisma amaya, mother of all grains. It is still widely consumed among people in Andean regions, and now the mother of grain has reached international markets and superfood stardom.  

Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein, and high in fiber. It is one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids. Additionally, quinoa excels in the areas of magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E, and various beneficial antioxidants. Superfood indeed!

There are many ways to enjoy quinoa. You can use quinoa with just about any dish that you would eat with rice, and it’s great in vegetarian or vegan burger patties, or as a meat substitute in vegan tacos—full of protein and flavor. 

The list for fun quinoa dishes is never-ending: quinoa oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, scrambles, salads, soups, sliders, and bowls. 

Give this spin on classic Tabbouleh Salad a try, and then get creative with your own quinoa experiments. And if you come up with something good, don’t be afraid to share with us!

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad Recipe

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 juicy lemons
• 1 small, crisp cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 cup cherry (or other small variety) tomatoes, quartered
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Pine nuts, as desired

Instructions

Quinoa

As with any grains and seeds, it is good to rinse the dry, uncooked quinoa first. Quinoa is easy and fast. One cup of dry quinoa expands to 4 cups cooked, which is how much we used for this quinoa tabbouleh salad. For each cup of dry quinoa, use 2 cups of water or broth. 

1. Bring 2 cups of water or broth to a boil.
2. Add dry quinoa and a sprinkle of salt.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and cook covered for 15 minutes, or until all the water has absorbed.
4. You will know the quinoa is fully cooked when the grains are fluffy and you see a small thread.
5. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

(You can store cooked quinoa in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.)

Salad

1. While the quinoa cools, dice the cucumber, quarter the cherry tomatoes, and chop the fresh parsley very fine.
2. Mix all ingredients together with olive oil and lemon and fluff together. Top with pine nuts.
3. For a delicious, Mediteranean-inspired meal, we served ours with freshly made hummus, sauteed eggplant, and cashew-cream based tzatziki sauce for a hearty, flavorful vegan meal. 

Pro-tip: If you have leftovers, get yourself a soft flour tortilla and wrap them up with some fresh greens, roasted potatoes and a simple vinaigrette dressing. You won’t be disappointed.

Find loads of other delicious recipes in the recipe section of Producers Stories, and follow us on Instagram at @organic or @vegans for even more inspiration!