Coconut Free Gluten Free Quinoa Tabbouleh
This bright, herb-forward grain salad is everything a great tabbouleh should be — fresh, zesty, and packed with texture in every bite. Fluffy quinoa stands in for the traditional bulgur, making it naturally gluten free while keeping that satisfying, slightly nutty base that holds the whole dish together. Mountains of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint are the real stars here, giving the salad an almost electric green color and a clean, grassy flavor that feels genuinely vibrant. Crisp cucumber, juicy seeded tomatoes, and sliced scallion greens round things out with crunch and a gentle bite. The dressing is nothing more than fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper — simple, sharp, and exactly what this kind of salad needs. There's no coconut in any form hiding in the ingredients, so you can dig in without scanning labels or second-guessing a thing. Make it ahead and let it sit in the fridge for a bit; the flavors only get better as everything comes together.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the quinoa
- ½ cup white quinoa
- 1 cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 2 large bunches)
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
- 1 medium english cucumber, finely diced
- 4 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds, then drain well. Combine the rinsed quinoa, 1 cup water, and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the water is fully absorbed and the quinoa tails have unfurled, about 12–14 minutes.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat, uncover, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Spread it in a thin layer on a large plate or sheet pan and let it cool to room temperature, about 20–30 minutes.
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