Confetti Quinoa Tabbouleh

This is one of my very favorite recipes.  If you haven't experimented with quinoa yet, this is the recipe to try!  My little boys and I love this tabbouleh, and can eat a whole bowl by ourselves in one sitting.  I'm really excited for summertime when I have almost all of these ingredients growing in my garden!  This recipe comes from a family friend, Cynthia Wand.

Confetti Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1⁄2 inch cubes
6 green onions, with tops, finely chopped
1 medium unwaxed cucumber, cut into 1⁄2 inch cubes
1 small orange or yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1⁄2 cup finely chopped mint

Dressing 

1⁄3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄3 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

Put the quinoa in a fine mesh, wire strainer and thoroughly rinse with hot water to remove possible bitterness. In a medium pan, bring water and quinoa to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 10-12 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and cool completely.

Add tomatoes, onions, cucumber, pepper, parsley, and mint into the quinoa. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, pour over quinoa and toss lightly but well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. You may need to adjust seasonings if prepared more than 2 hours ahead.

Delicious served straight, or on top of baby greens, or use as a filling in a whole grain pita with goat feta on top and some “raw” greek, black olives, which you can find at Good Earth.

All Rights Reserved 2010 © Living The HeartLife LLC Cynthia Wand