In our minds, just about anything made with fresh and sweet-smelling parsley makes a perfect summer dish. That’s why we love this classic tabouli made by Chef Pamela Salzman. Pamela adds her own twist to this recipe by substituting quinoa for bulgar wheat, making this tabouli—ta-da!—gluten-free!  Whether used to compliment the main course for a table full of guests or served on it’s own for a light meal on a hot summer night, this is one dish we’ll be making all summer long!

Make sure you check out our simple-to-follow cooking video and here’s the recipe…bookmark it now!

Quinoa Tabbouleh
serves 6, as a side dish

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
Sea salt
2 cups diced unpeeled Persian or Japanese cucumber (or cucumber with a tasty skin)
2 cups halved or quartered cherry tomatoes
4 scallions, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or as much as you can chop — the  more, the better!
¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Rinse quinoa in a bowl with water or place quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until water runs clear.  Transfer to a saucepan and add a healthy pinch of sea salt and 1 ¾ cups of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.

Transfer quinoa to a serving bowl and allow to cool.  Fluff with a fork periodically.

Combine cooled quinoa and remaining ingredients plus 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt.  Toss to mix well.  Taste for seasoning.