Low Iodine Gluten Free Quinoa Tabbouleh
Bright, herby, and refreshingly light, this grain-based salad is a textbook example of how simple ingredients can deliver serious flavor. Heaps of flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint form the backbone of the dish, while diced tomatoes, cucumber, and scallion greens add crunch and color in every bite. A zippy dressing of fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil ties it all together without any of the processed or iodine-rich ingredients that can make other recipes tricky to navigate. Quinoa steps in as the grain here, and because it's naturally gluten free and free from iodized salt concerns when you control what goes into the pot, it's a genuinely smart swap. The technique is straightforward — cook, cool, toss — but spreading the quinoa out to cool before combining keeps the texture light and separate rather than clumpy. Every ingredient in this bowl is whole and unprocessed, which means you're not hunting labels or second-guessing what's hiding in a packaged mix. It's the kind of salad that works as a satisfying lunch on its own or as a vibrant side that holds up well in the fridge for a short while before serving.
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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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