Quarantinechef: quinoa tabbouleh

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This post is proof that I occasionally eat something healthy. It’s also proof that Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, the Queen of Cosmopolitans, and the goddess of “how simple is that?!”, always creates winning recipes.

Without further ado, I present to you….quinoa tabbouleh!

Quinoa tabbouleh.png

As I said, the original recipe is Ina Garten’s. It’s a perfect make-ahead salad - in fact, it’s better as the salad flavors mingle, unlike most salads. Just add the feta when you’re ready to serve, rather than when you make the salad - because I intend to eat this for multiple days, I didn’t incorporate the feta into the salad itself. I just sprinkled some on top when I served it.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 c dry quinoa + 2 c water [note: I used chicken broth because I started making the quinoa before I realized I was going to make this recipe, but the broth tasted great too]

  • 1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1/4 c olive oil [Ina Garten always says ‘good olive oil’, as though you would ever dare to have ‘bad olive oil’ lying around]

  • 5 scallions (aka green onions)

  • 1 c chopped fresh mint leaves

  • 1 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 cucumber, unpeeled but seeded

  • 2 c cherry tomatoes

  • 8 oz feta

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Bring 2 c of water to a boil. Add 1 c quinoa, 1 tsp salt, and cover, simmering for 15+ min. The quinoa is done when it looks like quinoa you’ve eaten elsewhere (i.e. opened up a bit and somewhat translucent)

  • When the quinoa is done, drain it, then combine with 1/4 c lemon juice, 1/4 c GOOD olive oil, and another teaspoon of salt.

  • Meanwhile, chop 1 c mint leaves, 1 c parsley, and 5 scallions (white and green parts). I didn’t chop mine fine enough - I would recommend either chopping very fine, or removing the biggest stems from the herbs before chopping.

  • Also meanwhile, dice a cucumber. Don’t peel it, but cut it into fourths lengthwise and remove most of the seeds before dicing.

  • Also meanwhile, cut your cherry tomatoes in half. Note: I used heirloom cherry tomatoes and didn’t use two cups - I just eyeballed what looked like enough.

  • Combine the mint, parsley, scallions, cucumber, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1-2tsp salt and some ground pepper to taste.

  • Add the quinoa mix to the vegetables and stir to combine.

  • When ready to serve, add 5-8oz of crumbled feta.

PRODUCTION NOTES:

  • Ina says this will keep four days in the fridge. If you’re going to store it, don’t add the feta until you’re ready to eat.

  • This is great both cold and room temperature.

  • I really like this with a simple chicken breast and some tzatziki sauce.

  • The smugness of cooking and eating quinoa at home lasts for DAYS and it’s worth it.