Gluten-Free Tabbouleh with Quinoa and Pomegranate
This gluten-free tabbouleh is my take on the popular Middle-Eastern parsley salad. Healthy, fresh, and easy to make and filled with herbs like parsley, mint, spring onions, quinoa, tomato, fresh bursts of pomegranate, slivered almonds, and a tangy dressing. This salad is not just tasty but beautiful to look at as well!
Tabbouleh (also spelled as tabbouli or tabouli) is a great addition as an appetiser (traditionally served inside lettuce cups), to a mezze platter, or as part of the main meal.
Tabbouleh recipes will use different ratios of the same ingredients depending on which part of the world you’re in. Traditionally tabbouleh isn’t gluten-free as it uses bulgur wheat as one of the main ingredients. I wanted to make this recipe accessible, celiac-friendly, and a little different. I hope you enjoy it.
What’s in this quinoa tabbouleh?
- Curly leaf parsley (more traditional, but flat-leaf will work too- the yield will look smaller though)
- Quinoa (I used tri-coloured, but white is fine as well)
- Mint (not to be substituted with dried)
- Spring onions / scallions (if you love the taste of garlic, you can add 1-2 cloves of finely minced garlic as well)
- Pomegranate (if you don’t want to use it or can’t access it, substitute for an additional tomato)
- Tomato (I don’t mind the seeds and pulp from it in this salad as there’s only one in the whole salad, so it won’t impact it too much)
- Slivered almonds (you can toast them if you want a nuttier flavour or substitute with walnuts)
- Lemon juice (fresh is always best to get the beautiful tang)
- Olive oil (extra virgin is best for dressings)
- Salt (reduce or increase depending on how much you like)
- Sumac (totally optional but a nice touch)
Tips for making this grain-free tabbouleh
- To bulk it up, add a drained and washed can of chickpeas or lentils to make it a more substantial meal.
- If you want to keep it for longer or prepare it ahead, remove the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes and keep the dressing aside.
- You can adjust the ratios in this salad to suit you. There are no hard rules around how it should be made. This is how I like it.
- Fun fact: quinoa is not a grain but a seed, so if you’re on a grain-free diet or choose not to consume it during certain holidays, this recipe is perfect!
- If you want to try it with a different gluten-free option, you can try this salad with millet. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would be tasty.
What to serve with this quinoa tabbouleh salad
There are so many delicious ways to enjoy this tabbouleh. Here are a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing!
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- Falafels
- Hummus
- Tahini dressing
- Tzatziki
- Shredded tofu from this wrap
- Inside a wrap with any of the above
- In lettuce cups
- As part of a mezze platter
- Add chickpeas or lentils and enjoy as a meal
- As part of a bowl
- With my chickpea pancakes
This is, after all, a parsley salad, so I wanted to make sure that the star ingredient is highlighted and all the other ingredients are just supporting acts to make it all come together and provide different textures, flavours, and colours.
It’s perfect for those of you that have an abundance of parsley and mint in your gardens!
Now that I’ve given you a breakdown of the recipe, tips and tricks, and what you can enjoy it with, let’s get into it, shall we?
Other beautiful recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan Falafel Bowl
- Rainbow Falafel Salad with Tahini Dressing
- Vegan Herb Potato Salad (No-Mayo)
- Vegan Falafel Wrap
- Quick & Simple Vegan Lentil Salad
- Turkish-Style Shredded Tofu Wraps
If you try these recipes, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe/s on Pinterest.
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Gluten-Free Tabbouleh with Quinoa and Pomegranate
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
Description
This gluten-free tabbouleh is my take on the popular Middle-Eastern parsley salad. Healthy, fresh, tangy, and easy to make appetiser!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup / 65g quinoa (I used tri-coloured, but you can use white as well)
- 1 bunch (around 80g / 2.82 ounces) curly leaf parsley, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 25–30 mint leaves, chopped (about a handful)
- 2–3 (depending on size) / ½ cup spring onions / scallions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)
- 1 large tomato, chopped (ripe but firm)
- ½ cup / 80g pomegranate arils (around ½ of one)
- ⅓ cup / 40g slivered almonds*
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably fresh)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon sumac (optional)
Instructions
- To cook the quinoa: Using a fine mesh sieve, wash the quinoa until the water runs clear and the quinoa is no longer foaming (the outer layer is called saponin, which creates the foam). Let it drain well.
- In a small pot, add the quinoa and 2/3 cup of water, place the lid on partially, and bring to a boil then reduce the heat slightly and cook for around 8-10 minutes.* Once all the water has evaporated (I give it a little shake to check if it moves, if not, all the water has evaporated and absorbed), remove it from the heat and put the lid on to let it finish cooking and fluff up for around 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked quinoa to a flat plate and spread it out so that it cools quicker. Toss it with a spoon every once in a while to help it cool faster.
- In the meantime, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. By this stage, the quinoa should be cooled so add it to the salad. Toss well and serve.
- This salad is best enjoyed straight away or within 24 hours.
Notes
Quinoa cooking: The time will vary depending on the quinoa’s age and your stove. I also like to cook the quinoa the day before or a few hours before, so it’s completely cooled and ready to go.
Slivered almonds: You can lightly toast them on a skillet if you want to bring out their nuttiness even more.
Want to prepare it ahead of time? If you want to keep it for longer or prepare it ahead of time, remove the seeds and pulp from the tomatoes and keep the dressing aside and add it when serving. Everything else can be cooked, chopped and combined beforehand.
You can adjust the ratios in this salad to suit you. There are no hard rules around how it should be made. This is how I like it.
- Diet: Vegan
