Macadamia Free Gluten Free Quinoa Tabbouleh
This bright, herby grain salad is everything a great tabbouleh should be — fresh, vibrant, and packed with so much parsley and mint that every bite feels like a little burst of the Mediterranean. Quinoa steps in as the base here, making it naturally gluten free without any specialty swaps or hard-to-find products. The grains get rinsed, simmered until fluffy, then spread out to cool so they stay light and separate rather than clumping into the salad. Crisp cucumber, juicy seeded tomatoes, and sliced scallion greens add texture and color, while a simple dressing of fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil ties everything together with a clean, tangy finish. There are no nuts of any kind in this recipe — just whole, straightforward ingredients you can feel confident about. It comes together beautifully as a side dish, a light lunch, or a make-ahead addition to a bigger spread.
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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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