Equipment
Ingredients
Quinoa Base
- 100 g white quinoa, uncooked
- 200 ml water
- 2 g salt
Salad Components
- 100 g flat-leaf parsley, thoroughly dried, tough stems removed
- 30 g fresh mint, thoroughly dried, leaves only
- 250 g roma tomatoes, firm
- 150 g lebanese cucumber
- 50 g spring onions, trimmed
Lemon Dressing
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 45 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 262 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 510 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Potassium
- 570 mg
- Calcium
- 87 mg
- Iron
- 4.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 83 mg
- Phosphorus
- 164 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 129 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 51 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 452 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.14 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 105 mcg
- Water
- 139 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse vigorously under cold running water for at least 30 seconds. This removes the natural saponin coating that can cause a bitter taste.
Combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and 2 grams of salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) over medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed and the grain germs have burst.
Transfer the hot, cooked quinoa to a baking sheet, spreading it out in a thin, even layer. Allow it to cool completely to room temperature.
While the quinoa cools, use a very sharp chef's knife to finely chop the dried parsley and mint. Avoid going over the herbs repeatedly with the knife to prevent bruising and oxidation. Place the chopped herbs in a large mixing bowl.
Finely dice the roma tomatoes and cucumber. If the tomatoes are particularly watery, discard the seeds and excess juice. Thinly slice the spring onions. Add the prepared vegetables to the bowl with the herbs.
In a small bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, the remaining 3 grams of salt, and the black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is fully emulsified.
Add the cooled quinoa to the large bowl containing the herbs and vegetables. Pour the dressing over the top. Toss gently to combine, ensuring the herbs are evenly distributed and coated in dressing. Let the salad rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Authentic tabbouleh is fundamentally an herb salad with a scattering of grains, not a grain bowl with a scattering of herbs. Resist the temptation to increase the quinoa ratio.
- The sharpness of your knife is critical here. Crushing the herbs with a dull blade releases their essential oils onto the cutting board instead of keeping them in the leaf, resulting in a dark, bruised, and muddy-tasting salad.
- For the best texture, always allow the cooked quinoa to cool on a flat surface like a baking sheet rather than in the pot, which traps steam and leads to clumping.
- If your spring onions are particularly sharp or pungent, you can soak the sliced onions in the lemon juice for 10 minutes before whisking in the olive oil. The acid will mellow their bite.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Herbs will begin to lose their vibrancy and darken after the first 24 hours.
Troubleshooting
Salad is soggy or sitting in a pool of liquid
Cause: Tomatoes were too watery, herbs were wet when chopped, or quinoa was added while still warm
Fix: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the salad to a new serving bowl, leaving the excess liquid behind
Prevention: Thoroughly dry herbs in a salad spinner before chopping, seed watery tomatoes, and ensure quinoa is completely cool
Quinoa is mushy and clumped together
Cause: Too much water used during cooking, or overcooked
Fix: Cannot be fixed. In extreme cases, make a new batch of quinoa
Prevention: Measure the water accurately (exactly a 1 to 2 ratio by volume, or as listed by weight) and stop cooking as soon as liquid is absorbed
Herbs turned dark and bruised
Cause: A dull knife was used to chop the herbs, crushing them rather than slicing them
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure your chef's knife is honed and very sharp before processing delicate herbs
Cultural Context
Tabbouleh is an iconic dish originating in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria. In its traditional form, it relies heavily on finely hand-chopped flat-leaf parsley with just a dusting of fine bulgur wheat to absorb the zesty dressing. By replacing the bulgur with quinoa, this variation maintains the salad's structural integrity and characteristic texture while making it fully accessible for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerances.
