Quinoa Tabouleh (GF, DF)

Quinoa Tabouleh

This version of the Middle Easter bulgur wheat salad is light, refreshing and wheat-free!

 
Quinoa was referred to as the “Mother Grain” in the Inca culture.  They considered it as a wonder food.  Today it is billed as a super food because it is high in protein, fiber and many vitamins and minerals.  When preparing quinoa, the small seeds should be washed thoroughly before cooking to remove the bitter coating.  We recommend actually soaking the quinoa for several hours or overnight before cooking.  After soaking, rinse well, and after cooking, rinse again.



Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa or 1 ½ cups leftover cooked quinoa
1 small cucumber, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
½ cup chopped parsley
2 green onions, chopped
1 small carrot, shredded
¼ cup black olives, sliced (optional)
¼ cup sliced radishes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic, minced*
1 ½ tbsp. freshly queezed lemon juice
1 tbsp cider vinegar (use all lemon juice or all vinegar, if needed)
¼ tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
6 large lettuce leaves (to serve it on)

*Note:  I use garlic powder as opposed to fresh garlic because I have low blood pressure and I find the fresh garlic makes my blood pressure go too low.

Cook quinoa as directed.  (I soak it overnight and then use about ½ cup quinoa to 1 cup of water.  You may need to stop cooking it before all the water is absorbed as you don’t want it to get too mushy.  Rinse it well after cooking.)
Finely chop the vegetables and parsley.  (This time I didn't use the carrots!)  I use kitchen scissors to cut up the green onion.

Combine cucumber, parsley, onion, carrot, olives, and radishes with the quinoa in a medium baking bowl, tossing gently.

Juice the fresh lemon into a strainer to catch the seeds.

Place remaining ingredients, except for lettuce, in a small jar.  Cover jar and shake well to mix.  Pour the mixture over the quinoa and vegetables and toss gently until well coated.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator.  Serve on lettuce leaves, or chop the lettuce and mix into the salad if preferred.  Enjoy!



Source:  The Whole Food Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal