Enjoy the flavors of tabbouleh in this gluten-free Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad recipe. Perfect for barbecues and quick lunches or to enjoy as a side dish.

A bowl of quinoa salad is filled with chopped vegetables including tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onions. The Middle Eastern-inspired salad is garnished with fresh herbs. A sliced lemon and green herbs are on a saucer in the background, along with a glass containing a light beverage.

Welcome to tabbouleh with a twist! Friends, you know I love a good Middle Eastern salad. Well, this healthy gluten-free recipe is about as good as it gets! It uses tri-color quinoa instead of bulgur wheat for a vibrant and flavorful version of tabbouli salad.

This salad is perfect as a side dish for your summer barbeques or as an easy nutritious lunch. Make this salad for the entire family and watch as they devour their salads and ask for more!

What is Tabbouleh Salad?

A bowl of quinoa salad with chopped vegetables and herbs sits on a marble surface. Two wooden utensils are in the bowl. Nearby, a plate with a lemon half on a bed of mint leaves and colorful flowers suggests a touch of Middle Eastern flair. A gray napkin lies beneath the bowl.

Not sure what I'm talking about? Tabbouleh, or tabbouli, is a herby Levantine salad made with parsley, mint, and lemon. It's a favorite accompaniment to falafel, shawarma, or kebabs and is often served accompanied by pita bread. Because it uses grains, it is also very wholesome and filling.

So Why Use Quinoa?

Overhead view of five bowls of ingredients for a Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad: a bowl of cooked quinoa, sliced green onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, and chopped green herbs, all arranged on a white marble surface. This recipe offers freshness in every bite.

A close-up of a Middle Eastern quinoa salad in a white bowl with a blue rim. The recipe includes chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, and parsley. The quinoa is mixed evenly with the vegetables, creating a colorful and fresh appearance.

Apart from catering to those with gluten sensitivities, quinoa is packed with nutrients. Its protein content, along with zinc, fiber, folate, and antioxidants, makes this superfood one of my favorite 'go-to' grains.

There are three colors of quinoa to choose from: white, red, and black. All of them have similar nutritional values; however, there is a texture difference depending on what you are using your quinoa for.

White quinoa is the least bitter of the three, is quite neutral in flavor and has a soft texture. It is best used for warm recipes or recipes where the quinoa is an additional bulking ingredient rather than the star of the show. I love to use it in vegetarian casseroles, or in quinoa fritters. I also love to make this Curried Quinoa Bake for the week, making sure we always have a serving of this delicious one-pan-meal within reach.

The red and black quinoa strains are slightly chewier in texture and give a more nutty taste to the dish. Combined, these two create wonderful flavors that are perfect when added to salads (and they look beautiful on your plate too!)

Our gluten-free tabbouli recipe today calls for tri-color quinoa (meaning a mix of all three types). This gives us the best of it all and provides a great balance of texture and flavor to our dish.

My Fave Quinoa

Yupik Organic Tri-Color Mixed Quinoa

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Tricolor quinoa combines red, black and white quinoa. It is chewy but mild in flavor, and retains its shape well when cooked - a game changer for quinoa salads!

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01/21/2025 12:57 pm GMT

Ingredients

A bowl of grains is surrounded by cucumbers, halved lemons, tomatoes on the vine, garlic cloves, a bottle of olive oil, and green leafy herbs on a marble surface - the perfect setup for a Middle Eastern quinoa salad recipe.

For the quinoa tabbouleh:

Tricolor quinoa - Our nutty, wholesome, nutritious superfood used as the base of our gluten-free tabbouleh salad.
Tomatoes - Diced up small, our juicy ingredient
Lebanese cucumbers: These small 'early cucumbers' are almost seedless and have no strong aftertaste like English cucumbers. They are fresh and crisp and slightly sweet, adding a crunch to our salad.
Fresh mint - Fresh herbs, chopped, added for flavor
Fresh curly parsley - Note here that we use curly parsley and not flat parsley. Curly parsley is milder in taste and is used mostly for garnishing dishes or when the recipe calls for thinly cut herbs.

For the sauce:

Garlic cloves - Minced
Lemon flavored olive oil - Terra Delyssa Lemon-flavored Olive Oil is one of my favorites and gives a beautiful lemon and herby flavor. But you can use any fruity olive oil of your choice depending on your preference.
Juice of lemon - For an additional tart flavor
Salt and pepper - To taste

Exact quantities in the recipe card below

What I Use

Terra Delyssa Organic Single Source Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil Gift Set

To give salads a bright and explosive flavor, I often turn to flavored olive oils. In this case, I used the Terra Delyssa single source lemon infused olive oil, straight from Tunisia.

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Equipment

A bowl of quinoa salad is on a marble surface with a spoon and fork placed diagonally in the bowl. This Middle Eastern-inspired salad contains quinoa, diced tomatoes, chopped parsley, and green onions. Next to the bowl is a plate with a lemon half and a few mint leaves, adding freshness to the recipe.

Step by step instructions

Cook quinoa

A wooden spoon is stirring cooked quinoa spread on a baking sheet, preparing for a delicious Quinoa Salad. The baking sheet rests on a marble surface, and a person's hand is holding the spoon. In the top left corner, there's also a small bowl containing additional quinoa for the recipe.

Firstly, cook the quinoa according to package instructions. Then, spread the cooked quinoa on a large sheet pan to help it cool quickly.

Meanwhile, chop up your tomatoes, cucumbers, mint and parsley.

Make salad dressing

A hand holds a bottle of Greek extra virgin olive oil, labeled with a yellow and black design, above a white bowl filled with greenish oil. The bowl, perfect for drizzling over your favorite quinoa salad recipe, rests on a marble surface, while a wooden stick is being dipped into the flavorful Middle Eastern oil.

Next, make the dressing. In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic, Terra Delyssa Lemon-flavored Olive Oil, and lemon juice for the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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Assemble salad

Top-down view of a person pouring chopped green onions into a bowl containing diced tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and quinoa. A gold fork is also in the bowl. The person, wearing a red long-sleeve shirt, expertly prepares this Middle Eastern-inspired salad on a marbled surface.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced tomatoes, and cucumbers. Add the chopped mint and parsley to the bowl and mix.

Finally, pour the sauce all over the salad and mix well, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serving options

This Mediterranean quinoa salad recipe works wonderfully alongside my grilled chicken kofta kebabs, or my Moroccan Salmon recipe. You can also pour over some of this lemony, tangy tahini sauce for an additional condiment.

Other salads to try

Another twist to the traditional tabbouleh salad is my Mediterranean bulgur salad with feta cheese, blood orange and pomegranate.

Or try my roasted butternut squash and leek salad for a quick and easy meal you can make on autopilot!

If you want a grain-free Middle Eastern option, it doesn't get much more traditional than my chopped Israeli salad, except making it with feta.

More with quinoa

So you made your salad and now you have a bunch of quinoa that you don't know what to do with?! Don't fear, my quinoa fritters are here! The golden nugget recipe that will win over any quinoa wary contestants.

A close-up image of a Middle Eastern quinoa salad featuring ingredients like quinoa, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green onions, and fresh herbs. The colorful salad is mixed in a white bowl with a blue rim.

Recipe

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