Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad (tabouli quinoa salad) – a zesty quinoa salad with lot’s of parsley, shallots, baby mozzarella cheese, avocado and tomatoes. Perfect for people following a modern Mediterranean or gluten free lifestyle. Vegetarian.
Today’s salad is a modernized version of the classic Tabbouleh salad that is made with lot’s of parsley and little bulgur. It’s also loaded with mozzarella cheese and avocados for richer taste.
Behind the Bites
Quinoa was pretty much unknown in Europe for centuries. It was cultivated mainly in the Andean regions of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia for thousands of years. Some say, Quinoa was considered sacred by the Incas, who called it the “mother grain”. With the rise of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian diets, quinoa slowly became a staple food choice across Europe. It is now being cultivated in a number of European countries like France, Italy, Spain and Great Britain.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Quinoa – all types and colors work here
- Water – for preparing quinoa
- Baby mozzarella cheese balls – or regular mozzarella cheese cut in cubes
- Avocado – ripe
- Cherry tomatoes – or any type of tomato that has a sweetness to it
- Shallots – or spring onions
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh lemon juice
How to cook Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad?
1st: Cook quinoa in water on the stove top until fully cooked. There isn’t any leftover water usually, but in case there is – drain quinoa from it well. Set aside.
2nd: Cut tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, shallots, parsley and avocado. Mix in the cooked quinoa, season with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt and serve immediately.
What to serve with Quinoa Salad?
A few suggestions from my kitchen:
Mediterranean Tabbouleh Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, (1cup=200ml)
- 2 cups water for cooking quinoa
- 100 g baby mozzarella cheese, halved
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 12 medium cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 tbsp. minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 small shallot, or spring onion
- 4 tbsp. olive oil, or more to taste
- fresh lemon juice, to taste
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan with lid combine quinoa and water, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for approx. 15 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Let sit for a few minutes to cool down. Remove any excess water (there usually isn't any with this quinoa-water ratio) if needed.
- In the meantime, remove skin and stone from avocado and cut in small cubes. Cut cherry tomatoes and baby mozzarella in half. Mince shallots and fresh parsley as well.
- Combine everything in a large salad bowl, drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and lemon juice to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Absolutely delicious, can be prepared with couscous too