Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa is a wholesome twist on the classic Middle Eastern recipe, with protein-rich quinoa replacing traditional bulgur. This fresh, herb-packed salad is bursting with flavor and doubles as a light vegetarian main or a refreshing summer side-created by a Registered Dietitian to deliver taste and nutrition.
Save This Recipe!
Type your email & I'll send it to you!
Tabbouleh, a cherished staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, is celebrated for its refreshing blend of finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and a zesty lemon-olive oil dressing. Traditionally crafted with bulgur wheat, this vibrant salad has undergone a modern transformation with the introduction of quinoa-a protein-rich, gluten-free seed that enhances both nutrition and texture.
Tabbouleh is typically served as a side dish on Mediterranean menus alongside baba ganoush, hummus, olives, and falafel. This gluten-free version adds an option for chickpeas for more protein and contains optional olives for a meaty texture and a salty kick.
This dish was inspired by my Easy One Pot Quinoa with Chickpeas on this site, as well as this High-Protein Chickpea Quinoa Salad. For another quick and easy weeknight dinner, try this Orzo Pasta with Chickpeas.
Jump to:
- 🥗 How to Make This Salad Without Oil
- 👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- 🌿 Substitutions
- 📖 How to Make Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa
- 💪🏼 Bulk Up Quinoa Tabbouleh with More Protein
- 💡 Expert Tips
- 🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
- 🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 🍽 Related Recipes
- 👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
- Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa (Gluten-Free)
- 💬 Comments
🥗 How to Make This Salad Without Oil
To make this salad oil-free, simply use one of my oil-free dressings instead. My healthy dressings are designed to be versatile without sacrificing taste-perfect for those looking to lighten things up or follow an oil-free diet.
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
This recipe is designed for meal prep, using a few simple tricks to help it stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days-making it perfect for grab-and-go lunches or easy weeknight dinners.
- Quinoa is a protein-rich, high-fiber seed. It's naturally gluten-free and a great substitute for the bulgur wheat in traditional tabbouleh salads. It cooks in just 15 minutes, and the texture complements the other ingredients perfectly.
- Cucumber is seeded in this recipe to remove excess moisture, keeping it fresher for longer. If you plan on eating this Quinoa Tabbouleh right away, you can skip this step as the seeds add additional nutrients. Use English or Persian cucumbers for best results.
- Grape tomatoes hold up better in the refrigerator, but if you plan on eating this salad right away, plum tomatoes are juicier and delicious in this salad.
- Optional chickpeas for protein, fiber, and iron. They contain about 15 grams of protein per 1 cup serving, turning this side salad into a complete meal.
- Optional briny olives add a savory punch, but feel free to omit them if you prefer a more traditional or lighter version.
- Fresh mint adds a burst of flavor and brightens this salad.
- Lemon juice balances the flavors and reduces the need for excess olive oil. The zest adds floral and citrus notes without acidity or tartness. Be careful not to get any of the bitter white part, or pith, of the lemon.
See the printable recipe card below for quantities.
🌿 Substitutions
- Quinoa - Instead of quinoa, you can use soaked bulgur for a more traditional-style tabbouleh recipe. Both are healthy options, but cracked bulgur is not gluten-free. Quinoa contains more protein, and bulgur has more fiber.
- Tomatoes: Use the ripest red tomatoes you can find. If you're making this salad when tomatoes are not in season or plan on having leftovers, use cherry tomatoes.
- Parsley: Use flat-leaf or curly parsley. Curly adds more volume, and flat-leaf has a more robust flavor, but both work in this recipe.
- Fresh herbs - Omit the fresh mint, parsley, or green onion as needed. The recipe still works, but it will have a lot less flavor. You can add some dried herbs as desired.
- Kalamata olives - the salty kick and meaty texture is a great addition to this Quinoa Tabbouleh salad, but you can omit the olives as needed
- Chickpeas - add roasted chickpeas for a protein and fiber boost
See this High-Protein Quinoa & Lentils Without Oil on my website for a warm and comforting quinoa fall recipe. Visit my Vegan Quinoa Recipes page for more satisfying salad dinner ideas.
📖 How to Make Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa
This is an overview. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the quinoa (saucepan method): Transfer the quinoa to a fine-mesh strainer. Run cold water over it until the water runs clear. Transfer to a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat. Cover and simmer. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large rimmed sheet and spread to cool.
Note: Quinoa can also be cooked in an Instant Pot for convenience. For tips on how to make perfect, fluffy quinoa every time, see my post on How to Cook Quinoa.
- Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Grate or press the garlic into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine: In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, parsley, mint, green onion, and dressing. To boost the protein, follow the steps below to add roasted chickpeas.
💪🏼 Bulk Up Quinoa Tabbouleh with More Protein
To boost the protein in this quinoa tabbouleh salad, add crispy roasted chickpeas. They bring extra crunch, flavor, and staying power-great for turning this into a more satisfying meal.
Roasted Chickpeas (optional):
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked)
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Dash of paprika
- Dash of garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
- Toss with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Roast them for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
For an oil-free version, skip the oil and roast the seasoned chickpeas dry. Add just before serving to keep them crispy.
💡 Expert Tips
- For Meal Prep: Seed the cucumber, and use cherry tomatoes if you plan on having leftovers. This reduces moisture in the salad so it holds up better for longer. Or salt them while you are chopping the other ingredients. Simply combine the tomato and cucumber in a bowl with some salt. Drain off the excess juice before you stir the salad together. (See the full instructions in the recipe card below.)
- Chopping the parsley and mint: This will be quicker in a food processor. Cut off the thick parsley stems. (There's no need to remove the thinner stems-they offer a lot of welcomed flavor.) Add the parsley and mint to the canister of a food processor with the standard "S" blade. Process until roughly chopped. You can also do it by hand, but it will take longer.
- For serving: Tabbouleh is typically served chilled or at room temperature. It's usually a side dish or salad offered with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern meals.
- Storage: Refrigerate any leftover Gluten-Free Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nisha's Favorites
Get my tried-and-true products.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
This meal prep-friendly salad stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. For the best texture over time, use seeded cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, or salt your chopped tomatoes and cucumbers while prepping the other ingredients. Let them sit in a bowl with a pinch of salt, then drain off the excess liquid before mixing the salad. (Full instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Quinoa is gluten-free. It is considered a pseudocereal-a high-fiber seed typically served as a grain-originating from the Andean region in South America.
Tabouli salad, or Tabbouleh, is a Mediterranean salad made of very finely chopped vegetables, lots of fresh parsley, and cracked bulgur wheat, tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.
👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
Let me know your thoughts on this Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa recipe by leaving a ⭐️ rating below or sharing it on Instagram.
Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium lemon zest and juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the salad:
- 1 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, seeded and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or 1 ½ cups diced ripe tomatoes
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives pitted and coarsely chopped (optional)
- 1 cup chopped parsley flat-leaf or curly
- ½ cup chopped fresh mint
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Save This Recipe!
Type your email & I'll send it to you!
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: Transfer the quinoa to a fine-mesh strainer. Run cold water over the quinoa until the water runs clear. Transfer the quinoa to a medium saucepan with 1 ¾ cups water. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 5 to 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Transfer to a large rimmed sheet and spread to cool.
- Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Grate or press the garlic into the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, olives, parsley, mint, green onion, and dressing.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include optional olives.
- To add crispy roasted chickpeas for more protein, see the blog post.
- Tomatoes: Use the ripest red tomatoes. If you're making this salad when tomatoes are out of season or plan on having leftovers, use cherry tomatoes or salt the tomatoes.
- Salt the cucumber and tomatoes (optional): To remove excess moisture and add more flavor, salt the tomatoes and cucumbers. Combine the diced cucumber and tomatoes in a medium bowl with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir and let rest for at least 10 minutes or until you are ready to mix the salad. Strain off and discard the cucumber and tomato juice in the bottom of the bowl. This ensures that your tabbouleh is not too watery.
- Parsley: Curly parsley adds more volume, but flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavor. Both work in this recipe.
- Chopping the parsley and mint: This will be quicker in a food processor. Cut off the thick parsley stems. (There's no need to remove the thinner stems-they offer a lot of welcomed flavor.) Add the parsley and mint to the canister of a food processor with the standard "S" blade. Process until roughly chopped. You can also do it by hand, but it will take longer.
- For serving: Tabbouleh is typically served chilled or at room temperature. It's usually a side dish or salad offered with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern meals.
- Storage: Refrigerate any leftover Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Lola says
A tabbouleh is a green dish. Its main star should be parsley. This is a nice quinoa salad but far from a tabbouleh.
Nisha Melvani says
Yes I see your point. Thanks for the feedback.
Neena Chandiramani says
Gluten-free and easy to make - love ❤️ that!
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you. Have a great evening.