I have a serious affection for fresh parsley. And I’m not talking about the kind relegated to garnish!
Well-loved (and possibly overrated) in its dry form and woefully underappreciated in its natural form, fresh parsley will take you places the dried herb simply can’t go. Full-bodied, bright and grassy, this vibrant green contains natural cleansing properties that make it especially refreshing and welcoming in the summer.
Playing a starring role in this garden fresh tabbouleh, fresh parsley draws out the best in sweet summer tomato, crunchy cucumber and tangy lemon.
Tabbouleh is a vegetarian dish, most often referred to as a salad, of Levantine origin. The traditional Mediterranean version of tabbouleh showcases fresh parsley as the principal ingredient (the dish is mostly green) together with chopped mint, tomato, olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Bulgar, a wheat derivative, is sometimes added but it plays a minor role in the classic preparation.
Today’s recipe offers a little riff on the traditional preparation with the substitution of quinoa for bulgar as well as the addition of cucumber and other seasoning choices.
This lovely Mediterranean salad will store well in the fridge for up to three days and would make a beautiful addition to any meal, picnic or potluck. The flavors are truly delicious and refreshing and the contents wonderfully nourishing.
- For the Quinoa Tabbouleh
- 1 cup (250 mL) dry quinoa (yields about 3 cups cooked quinoa)
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced or bite size chunks
- ½ English cucumber (the long thin ones), diced or bite sized chunks
- 3 green onions (scallion), minced (substitute red onion)
- Handful fresh flat (Italian) parsley, chopped
- Pinch of fresh mint leaves, chopped
- For the Dressing
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
- 3 (or so) garlic cloves (always optional - we love our garlic!) smashed, salted and chopped
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) terragon vinegar (substitute apple cider vinegar)
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp (10 mL) grainy dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (5 mL) honey, optional
- sea salt and coarse black pepper to taste
- Cook quinoa according to package directions (generally 1:2 ratio quinoa to water).
- Allow quinoa to cool while you prepare/chop herbs.
- Place quinoa in a large bowl (large enough to accommodate the entire salad) and add chopped parsley and mint, tossing to combine.
- In a separate bowl, combine: tomato, cucumber and onion, mixing to combine.
- In a small bowl or container with fitted lid, combine: olive oil, garlic (if using), vinegar, lemon, mustard and salt & pepper to taste, whisking or shaking to combine. Adjust seasonings as desired. If you find the dressing overly acidic/sour, you can add a tsp or so of honey/maple syrup.
- Add tomato mixture to quinoa and drizzle with dressing, mixing everything together gently to combine.
- If possible, allow the quinoa tabbouleh to sit covered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to absorb the flavors from the dressing before serving (it will still be delicious if you eat it right away!).
- Taste your tabbouleh and make any final flavor adjustments, salt/pepper, etc.
- Top individual salads with additional parsley, as desired and enjoy.
From Side to Meal: you can easily convert this recipe into a meal by adding beans (I especially like it with white bean or chickpea) or protein of choice.
Garlic Crush: I recommend smashing/crushing garlic for chunkier pieces and to release the allium's beneficial oils. To smash, simply use the flat side of a large knife and carefully press down on the garlic over a cutting board until it breaks/flattens somewhat. Sprinkle with sea salt and then chop the garlic.
Brilliant idea, Kelly! I’m sure it tastes fantastic and here the texture of quinoa – hated by some people – must be so welcome! Of course, as all your dishes, this one is also a fantastic visual treat!
I remember the first time a Lebanese friend made me a tabbouleh. I was so surprised by its simple ingredients leading to such fabulous flavour results. I don’t know if you have heard about it, but North African countries have a different version of tabbouleh: it’s made with couscous and contains less herbs/vegetables, but more carbs. I find the Lebanese tabbouleh much more interesting and delicious. The North African version is very popular (often also modified) in France. You often find it at picnics for example.
What a great dish, it’s one of our favourites too. Definitely screams summer; we often enjoy it with a poached egg on top. I adore parsley as well…I’ve even made a flat leaf parsley salad for lunch once — it was very tasty.
Eva https://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com
My mom introduced me to tabbouleh years ago…I’ve been a huge fan ever since. I love how you used quinoa here, Kelly! Just delicious. Thank you for sharing!
In love with this recipe! It screams Summer in color, taste and contents! I need this in my life!
So beautiful Kelly! And you’ve convinced me on the fresh parsley ;-). I think one of the things that puts me off fresh herbs is that recipes often call for a tablespoon here and there so you end up buying way more than you need. The rest of the bundle just sits in the fridge and wilts :( — I like the idea of using a full cup and you’re right, it must taste so fresh and delicious especially when combined with these ingredients. Clever ingredient choices and great recipe!
What a great riff!!! Honestly, I’ve never been a fan of tabbouleh because I’ve always felt it was missing something. Now I know what it was missing. :) I bet I could get Bobby to get eat quinoa if I served him this! I’ve been experimenting lately with quinoa and so far he hasn’t been impressed. Since he IS a fan of tabbouleh, I bet he would love this version. In fact, we both would! Very creative my dear!
Love how light and refreshing this sounds Kelly – hope you’re enjoying your summer!
I truly love tabbouleh! I love this version even more. Quinoa is such a great idea to use, and tarragon vinegar would be so beautiful. I love pita bread with tzatziki or hummus and tabbouleh, but this is just so great in itself. Dishes like these always taste so fresh…A perfect summer meal!
I’m following a pretty strict fitness and nutrition plan right now, so I’ve been adding fresh parsley to everrrrrything for extra flavour with no added ‘extras’. I think it’s saving my life……
Gorgeous dish, Kelly.
Lovely, colorful presentation.
Now, only if I could take a BIG bite! x
This is so wonderfully fresh and delicious, Kelly, and I can’t agree more with you about fresh parsley.
This is just beautiful Kelly, so fresh and summery looking. I could stare at your photos all night. I love that you used quinoa and I could see myself adding some chickpeas or white bean as you suggest and enjoying this for lunch as well (or dinner). It’s so true that the Americanized (if I can call it that) version of tabbouleh is really more about the bulghur (and sometimes couscous) than anything else; the parsley is an afterthought. I’m looking forward to trying this version with a heaping cup of fresh parsley ;-) – I like how you keep everything seasonal; tasty and easy to find ingredients!
Genius. This is indeed the strike of genius… I love parsley, and as I read your post, it all seemed absolutely natural, to make a tabbouleh type dish using quinoa instead of bulgur wheat.
seriously good stuff….