I don't know about you, but sometimes it's nice to have shortcut meals...meals where you can purchase some of the items, pre-made, and make a few of them from scratch. On crazy weeks, I love adding Tabbouleh to the menu. Tabbouleh is a classic Mediterranean salad traditionally made with bulgur (a cracked, ground form of whole wheat). Tabbouleh is great paired with other Mediterranean favorites such as hummus and a Greek salad, or some falafel and veggies!
When making this side, I like to make it as simple as possible. For time savings, I throw my grain of choice into my rice cooker or instant pot. This week, I made my grain the day before, so all I had to do the next evening was add my handful of ingredients. Also, this is a great dish to use up leftover cooked rice or any other grain you have on hand.
After the tabbouleh is made, we add some simple (store-bought) toppings to either make a tabbouleh plate or a salad. This Greek side can make for a great leftover lunch addition throughout the week as well. As a side note, our toddler loves this recipe, and was a fun one to help him explore new flavors!
Lastly, this Mediterranean favorite boasts healthy plant proteins. Why eat more plants and less meat? Eating more plant-based foods can decrease the risk of disease and improve your health and well being. Less meat decreases the risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and many cancers.
Tabbouleh
Instead of using bulgur, I used quinoa to make it gluten free. Any whole grain would substitute great in this recipe (rice, millet, buckwheat, half rice, half quinoa, etc.). To make a quick meal, add the following items of choice to the side, or use it to top a salad: Hummus (we like roasted red pepper for more flavor), falafel (Ziyad brand mix or Falafel King are our favorites), tzatziki sauce or plain Greek yogurt, kalamata olives, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS
2 medium lemons (or 1/4 cup lemon juice)
1 c quinoa (or grain of choice)
2 c water
1 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 green onions
1 large tomato
1 small cucumber
2 T olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup Feta cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Squeeze lemon juice into medium bowl. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set dressing aside.
2. Cook quinoa according to package directions on stove-top or in rice cooker (on white rice setting).
3. Thinly slice green onions, using green and white parts. Slice cucumber in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard seeds. Dice cucumber and add to bowl. Remove core from tomato. Dice. Chop parsley and mint and add to bowl. Mix all ingredients well to combine.
4. Add all ingredients in step 3 to cooked quinoa. Mix together until incorporated.
5. Add dressing to quinoa mixture and lightly stir until grain is coated. Add feta cheese to top salad, if desired.
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