High Fructose Corn Syrup Free Gluten Free Quinoa Tabbouleh
This bright, herb-forward grain salad is everything a summer side dish should be — fresh, vibrant, and packed with real ingredients you can actually pronounce. Two generous bunches of flat-leaf parsley form the backbone of the dish, joined by cool cucumber, juicy tomato, fresh mint, and tender quinoa that soaks up every drop of the lemony dressing. Speaking of that dressing: it's just fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper — nothing processed, nothing sweetened, nothing that would sneak in unwanted additives. That matters more than you'd think, because so many store-bought dressings and grain salad kits rely on sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup to balance acidity, making homemade the smarter call here. Cooking the quinoa low and slow until the little tails unfurl, then spreading it out to cool completely, keeps the texture light and fluffy rather than gummy — a small step that makes a big difference. Everything comes together in one big bowl with a quick toss, and it holds up beautifully in the fridge for a short rest if you want the flavors to meld a little more. Clean, wholesome, and genuinely delicious, this is the kind of recipe you'll find yourself making on repeat all season long.
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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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