This recipe is a fresh, healthy twist on classic tabbouleh: quinoa replaces bulgur for a gluten-free, vegan salad packed with herbs, lemon and crisp veggies. It's ready in 15 minutes!
I absolutely love making quinoa-based recipes. I always have cooked quinoa on hand as part of my weekly meal prep routine, and I like to mix it in with fresh veggies and favorite sauces to create flavorful and satisfying meals and salads.
This vegan quinoa tabbouleh is the exact kind of dish I crave at lunchtime. Refreshing cucumber and tomatoes, bright and zesty fresh herbs, and satisfying and fluffy quinoa...YUM! I finish it off with a simple drizzle of olive oil, lemon and garlic. It is also great with a side of hummus!
Ingredients
A great homemade tabbouleh is all about the freshest ingredients! I like to make this recipe while everything is as vibrant and fresh as possible. I'm absolutely obsessed!
You'll need one cup of dry quinoa, or if it's already cooked, three cups. I like the quinoa at room temperature for this recipe, so I prepare it ahead of time.
How to Make Quinoa Tabbouleh
1. Prepare the quinoa and dice the veggies.
2. Mince the herbs in a food processor.
3. Combine the quinoa, veggies and minced herbs in a mixing bowl.
4. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt to prepare the dressing.
5. Pour the dressing overtop the salad and toss to mix well. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tip
This recipe has fresh parsley and mint that's chopped extra, extra fine in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor you can cut them by hand, but make sure it's really, really well chopped! One of the signature traits of tabbouleh is fresh herbs in every single bite, and it definitely makes a difference.
Why I Love Quinoa
Quinoa is one of my pantry staples that does it all! It is light and absorbs flavor wonderfully, adding great texture to salads.
I love it as a side to almost any entrée because it's so easy to prepare with amazing health benefits! Quinoa is loaded with fiber (one serving has over 5 grams) and is also considered a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, making it a great source of plant-based protein.
In fact, it has more protein than any other grain! Quinoa is a good source of folate, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and many phytochemicals as well as minerals such as calcium, potassium, copper and zinc.
Additional Ingredients I Highly Recommend
I've been craving this homemade tabbouleh so often that I've found ways to bulk it up and make it a filling, nutritious meal! Adding chickpeas provides filling plant-based protein, fiber, and complex carbs into this dish. I always have vegan feta in the refrigerator, and it's really good crumbled overtop with some Kalamata olives! Make it your own and add your favorite salad toppings!
And for another take on tabbouleh, you have to try this Cava Copycat Lentil Tabbouleh recipe!
This easy quinoa tabbouleh is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and refined sugar-free. It's a super versatile side dish that everyone at the table will enjoy. I hope you'll make it, love it, and then tag me on Instagram so I can see! You can also drop a review below, which helps others who might want to make this dish and helps me as I develop and share recipes.
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The Quinoa Tabbouleh I Can't Stop Making
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This recipe is a fresh, healthy twist on classic tabbouleh: quinoa replaces bulgur for a gluten-free, vegan salad packed with herbs, lemon and crisp veggies. It's ready in 15 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (or 3 cups cooked)
- 2 cups fresh parsley leaves (large stems removed) [curly parsley works best]
- ¾ cup fresh mint leaves (large stems removed)
- 4 baby (mini) cucumbers, finely diced (or 1 English cucumber) [2 cups diced]
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 3-4 green onions (scallions), diced [1 cup diced]
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large juicy lemon, juiced (3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice)
- 3 small garlic cloves (or 2 small), pressed
- 1.5 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa using my Instant Pot method or my stovetop method. Allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature before using in this recipe.
- Place parsley leaves and mint leaves in a 7 cup food processor fitted with an S-blade. Pulse it a couple times to mince the herbs. Scrape down the sides with a mini spatula if needed. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl add the cooked and cooled quinoa, finely minced fresh herbs, finely diced cucumbers, quartered cherry tomatoes and diced green onions.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, pressed garlic and salt. Pour overtop the quinoa tabbouleh salad. Toss to mix well. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to five days.
Notes
If you do not have a food processor you can hand dice the herbs yourself but for the best results/texture I recommend using a food processor.
This salad pairs well with vegan feta cheese, kalamata olives and chickpeas.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Salad or Side
Steve says
I am a big fan of tabouleh, and my wife made this for dinner and it was amazing! Full of color, texture, and flavor. Definitely one we will go back to plenty.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Steve! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this version of it especially as a tabouleh lover 🙂
Lucy says
We loved this!! I might make it again this week.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Lucy! So happy to hear you loved this one 🙂 It is great for meal prep. Be sure to check out the Jennifer Aniston Viral Perfect Salad... very similar to this one. I plan to publish it to the blog early this week! Best, Elaine