Quinoa Tabbouleh
Quinoa is in right now, although there are people who wish it would go away.
In my last Standard-Examiner column I shared my recipe for Quinoa Tabbouleh. I used a recipe from my years living in Saudi Arabia, substituting quinoa for the bulgur (cooked, cracked wheat). Both ingredients give the salad some chewy texture, and both are pretty healthy.
Quinoa has been hailed by some nutritionists as a “superfood.” In the 1990s, a NASA report recommended it for use on astronaut missions because of its nutritional value, including a high protein content. That helped fuel some interest.
Quinoa was first grown thousands of years ago in the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. It looks and cooks like a grain; but food experts say that technically, it’s a seed.
Besides the high protein it’s also a source of iron and calcium — nutrients that vegans and vegetarians often miss out on because they are more commonly found in animal products.
It’s gluten-free alternative to wheat for people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
As it cooks, little white spirals form on the seeds, and the white seeds become almost translucent. The tiny little seeds become a little chewy, rather than soft and starchy as rice or cous cous does.
This is a pretty health salad, as parsley has been praised for its high amount of vitamins C and A. There are other healthy ingredients like tomatoes, olive oil, mint, lemon juice and cinnamon.
I first tried tabbouleh when a Lebanese friend brought it to a potluck dinner at our home in Saudia Arabia. I asked Amina for a copy of the recipe, but she didn’t have anything written down.
Instead, she invited me to come over for a hands-on cooking session, where we made tabbouleh and hummus. I brought a notebook and measuring cups and spoons. Together we chopped the parsley, mint, onions and tomatoes, and before anything was mixed in to the salad, I measured it and wrote it down. I’ve kept that hand-written recipe for almost 30 years. I’ve since seen a lot of other tabbouleh recipes that vary, but I’ve stayed true to Amina’s version, with this
exception of the quinoa. If you’ve got a few tomatoes ripening in the garden, this is a good way to use them.
I found both red and white quinoa at the grocery store. For a little color, I chose to use red quinoa, which turned a red-brown when cooked.
QUINOA TABBOULEH
2/3 cup bulgur, cracked wheat, or 2/3 cup quinoa
4 scallions (green onions) or 1 small white onion, chopped very fine
A pinch of salt
A dash of pepper
A dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cup ripe tomatoes, cubed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
3 cups finely chopped parsley
If using bulgur, rinse it in cold water and allow to soak for at least 1 hour to soften. Drain.
If using quinoa, rinse, and place the quinoa in a pot with 1 1/3 cups water. Bring the quinoa to a boil; turn down the heat and allow it to simmer 15 minutes or until tender but chewy. (Or, cook according to package directions.) Allow the quinoa to cool for about an hour before using.
If using cracked wheat, bring 1 1/3 cups water to boil and add the cracked wheat. Let the wheat simmer for 15 minutes, or until soft. Allow the wheat to cool for about an hour before using.
In a large bowl, mix the scallions, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Mix oil and lemon juice and add to the scallions. Add all the other ingredients and mix well. Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
