Being a vegan has kind of opened my world up to more possibilities for food. I always have loved food and always tried new things, but now I find myself actually going out and buying some of the ingredients I’ve wanted to try for eons. Maybe it’s because I don’t know if I will ever see them again in the Dominican Republic, or maybe it’s just that I am at a point where I fear boredom.
In any case, I purchased a small bag of red organic quinoa a few weeks back. I finally decided to put it to use. I found this recipe online at AllRecipes.com and will copy it below for your benefit. I will also post pics when I’m ready to toss all the ingredients together.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tomatoes, diced (I used two large tomatoes and about 10 cherry tomatoes, halved from my own patio planter)
- 1 cucumber, diced (I had an extremely large cuke so I only used 1/2)
- 2 bunches green onions, diced (I only had 1 bunch and it seemed like plenty)
- 2 carrots, grated (I omitted this)
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped (I took some of the suggestions from commenters and substituted with cilantro, as that was what I had on hand.)
In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temp. Fluff with a fork.
In a large bowl, combine olive oil, salt, lemon juice, veggies and herbs. Stir in cooled quinoa. Mix gently.
Adding 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh mint really makes this salad! Great for a summer picnic, very refreshing!
Mmm I love mint. Great tip Karla! Thanks.