Tabouli

Los Angeles is full of amazing Greek restaurants.  During my junior year at USC, I was working as a producer on a graduate thesis film.  The director was from the UAE and raved about his love of tabbouleh.  He swore I would instantly fall in love with this little hole in the wall Greek place in downtown LA where they served up the best falafel and tabouli in town.  Well, he was right.  The one thing I remember most was that their tabouli was out of this world.  Bold as it may be to say, my tabouli is even better!  Why, you might ask?  Well, mine is made with quinoa and is lighter and fresher than the traditional tabouli made with cracked wheat (not to mention gluten free).  This salad goes extremely well with my Baked Falafel and Quinoa Cakes.  I guarantee, you will fall in love with this recipe and when you do, you will get all the beautiful health benefits and detoxification properties of the parsley leaves in this tangy Mediterranean dish.  I would say that this recipe serves 8 but at my house (even with my sister who "hates parsley") it only served three!

Tabouli is a joy to make, when you start chopping herbs, even on the cloudiest of days, you feel fresh, healthy and alive.  With fresh mint, parsley and lemon juice this kitchen session is sure to enliven the senses and wake your culinary spirit ;)

  

Yields About 8 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups minced parsley (you can use flat leaf but curly really works best)
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
1 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion (optional)
2 tomatoes, diced
2 cucumber, diced (sweet, organic Persian cucumber works best.  If using another kind, peel and seed the cucumber)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
1 tsp Himalayan salt or sea salt

In a medium bowl add the parsley, mint, quinoa, onion, tomato and cumber and toss.  In a separate small bowl add the oil, lemon juice and pepper.  Whisk to emulsify all the ingredients then pour over salad.  Mix well and allow to chill for about 20 to 30 minutes before eating.  Enjoy!

✌ YUM