Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe

Recipe by Maureen Abood

My quinoa tabbouleh was inspired by my plate at the Broad but still stays true to the classic herb-laden salad we know and love. To get after the zingy lemon flavor of their salad, I dress the quinoa on its own, not just in the salad as we typically do with the bulghur. The result: so flavorful! This is a big salad that will make at least 12 servings or more; feel free to scale down, but know that the salad tastes great from the refrigerator all week long.

2 large bunches curly parsley
1/2 cup pearl quinoa
1 cup water
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt, to taste
Big handful mint leaves, finely chopped
2 small cucumbers, cut in small pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in small pieces
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Thoroughly rinse the parsley by dunking it in clean water several times (see this). Lay it out on a clean kitchen towel to dry, blotting it with another dry towel, or running the parsley through a salad spinner in batches. If possible, wash the parsley a day in advance, lay it out to dry or spin it, then store it in the refrigerator in Ziploc bags overnight or until you’re ready to make the salad.

In a small saucepan, bring the cup of water to a boil over high heat. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer with cold water. Add the quinoa to the boiling water, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cook the quinoa until it is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Immediately place the quinoa in a large bowl to cool and stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

While the quinoa cooks, chop the vegetables and work with the parsley last, so that it’s as dry as possible if it was just washed.

To chop the parsley, pinch the curly leaves from the stems and discard the stems. You’ll have about 10 cups of parsley. Finely chop the parsley in batches, or chop it in a food processor in two batches, pulsing just until no large pieces of parsley are visible.

Add the parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions to the bowl with the quinoa. Dress the tabbouleh with the juice of the second lemon, the olive oil, garlic powder, and a generous pinch of salt. Combine everything thoroughly, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve the tabbouleh immediately, or let it rest for up to several hours or in the refrigerator for several days. The tabbouleh is lovely served on a platter.