Straight from the Earth

QUINOA TABBOULEH

Quinoa tabbouleh is a great variation of traditional Middle Eastern tabbouleh, which is made with bulgur wheat. The combination of fresh tomatoes, cucumber, tons of fresh parsley, and mint tossed with a lemon vinaigrette is irresistible. A side of quinoa tabbouleh is a great quick snack, and it turns a bowl of soup into a filling lunch. When served with our Three-Color Hummus (page 106), it makes a perfect Mediterranean-style appetizer. Salads with tomatoes are best eaten before they’ve been refrigerated, but this salad will be just fine for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If you want to up the nutrition even more, serve the tabbouleh with a sprinkling of hemp seeds. —MYRA

Serves 8

QUINOA

1¹/₂ cups/255 g quinoa, thoroughly rinsed

¹/₂ tsp salt

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

³/₄ cup/180 ml olive oil

1 lemon, zested

¹/₄ cup plus 1 tbsp/75 ml fresh lemon juice

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

³/₄ tsp salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

SALAD

2 large vine-ripe tomatoes, small dice

1 cucumber (preferably seedless, peeled if not), small dice

1¹/₂ cups/45 g packed finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

²/₃ cup/20 g packed finely chopped fresh spearmint

4 large green onions, white bulb and 2 in/5 cm of green, thinly sliced

Salt (optional)

Freshly ground pepper (optional)

To make the quinoa: In a medium pot, combine the well-rinsed quinoa with 3 cups/720 ml water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed. Add the salt. Fluff the quinoa and transfer it to a large bowl to cool, stirring occasionally.

To make the vinaigrette: Combine the oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside at room temperature.

To make the salad: Toss ¹/₄ cup/60 ml of the dressing with the cooled quinoa. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, spearmint, and green onions to the quinoa. Pour on the remainder of the dressing, and toss until thoroughly combined. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.