Quinoa Tabouli

My mom requested that I make tabouli. She is gluten intolerent so she wanted quinoa tabouli specifically, which is fine by me since I love quinoa. However, when I think of tabouli I basically think parsley and lemon and just a blah dish that I really wouldn’t choose to eat. So I pretty much stalled for as long as possible, then I figured I should give it a go.

Turns out, this is one of the best things I’ve made in awhile. Craigy said “Wow, this is actually good”. I said “Don’t be so surprised!!” but the truth is, I even  surprised myself with this one.

First, I roasted some tomatoes with lemon zest:

We’ll add fresh tomato at the end too, but this just adds another layer of flavour. Roast until they are soft and starting to caramalize.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to the package. I used 1 cup which should be about 2 cups cooked. Let it cool slightly while you are chopping your veggies.

I used mint & parsley, cucumber, spring onion, and fresh baby spinach:

As you can see, the amounts are about equal, and the herbs aren’t overwhelming the dish. Next make the dressing. Add tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper to a bowl and stir.

I think the addition of the tahini adds a richness to the salad, so dont leave it out!!

Add quinoa to the dressing and then add all the veggies and mix like crazy…

At the very end, dice some tomato and add that in, and taste for seasoning. It has a freshness that really balances well with rich meats…enjoy!

Here’s the Recipe: