Quinoa Tabbouleh

There’s one good thing about my issues of Bon Appetit piling up while we’re in Poland. When I come home, it’s like a jackpot. I unwrapped a couple of issues to read while traveling to Las Vegas and the San Francisco bay area. There were so many recipes I’m eager to try, especially several hearty salads like this quinoa tabbouleh. Perfect for dinner while I’m sharing the house with my vegetarian daughter.

I’ve always loved this flavor combination. Using quinoa instead of cracked wheat provides a little more protein, but the trade off is a little less fiber. One forth of this recipe provides 7.7 grams of protein, 5.5 grams of fiber, and 400 calories, more than half of which comes from the olive oil. Big calories savings can be had by reducing the amount of oil.

Source: Bon Appetit June 2012

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
black pepper, to taste
1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced (about 2 cups)
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
2/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 to 4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Directions

• Bring quinoa, salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Turn heat off and let quinoa sit for 5 minutes.
• Whisk the juice, garlic and oil. (We had to substitute garlic salt).
• Fluff quinoa with a fork and add to dressing.
• Add remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.