Quinoa Tabbouleh
Updated Aug 07, 2026
This quinoa tabbouleh is made with all the classic ingredients, like mint, parsley, and tomatoes and uses white quinoa in a lemon dressing.
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Every time I post my traditional Lebanese tabbouleh, someone asks if they can make it with quinoa instead of bulgur, and yep, it works. Quinoa isn’t traditional, but it’s easy to find and still gives you that hearty base to soak up all the lemony, herb flavor. I usually make this quinoa tabbouleh when I’m out of bulgur or just want something gluten-free. It’s still got a bunch of parsley, mint, tomatoes, and scallions, and the lemon and olive oil bring it all together, just like the classic.
Recipe Testing Notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe before sharing it with you! These notes give you a peek into the process of developing this recipe.
I received a comment recently that the amount of olive oil and lemon juice was too much for just one ½ cup of quinoa and that the oil actually pooled on top. Quinoa will puff up more than bulgur so I do have more dressing in this version compared to the traditional version with bulgur. However when I tested it, I didn’t notice any pooling of the dressing.
After leaving it sitting out for 20 minutes, I started to see some excess dressing, so I decided to decrease both the oil and lemon juice from ½ cup each for ⅓ cup each and it’s still rich and lemony with plenty of dressing.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Quinoa Tabbouleh Ingredients
- Quinoa: White quinoa is what I use for this recipe.
- Water: I cook the quinoa in water here, but sometimes I use chicken stock for extra flavor. You can also make your own vegetable stock!
- Parsley: I use curly-leaf parsley in my tabbouleh recipes, but flat-leaf Italian parsley works, too.
- Mint leaves: If you can’t find it, you can skip it. If you have dried mint, try adding about ½ tablespoon.
- Green onions: I use both the green and white parts in this quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe to add a gentle onion-y taste without overpowering the salad. You can also use diced white or red onion.
- Tomatoes: Seeded and chopped. You can also use halved cherry tomatoes.
- Dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Quinoa Tabbouleh
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Quinoa Tabbouleh. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe below
1. Measure the Dressing
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a bowl.
2. Combine the Dressing
Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
3. Dry Toast the Quinoa
Place the quinoa in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and toast without any oil, stirring frequently, until it begins to pop, turns somewhat golden brown, and smells nutty.
4. Cook Quinoa with Water
Add the water and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the quinoa is tender.
5. Fluff & Cool the Quinoa
Uncover, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and let it cool to room temperature.
6. Add Herbs & Veges on Top
In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, chopped herbs, and veggies.
7. Pour the Dressing
Add the dressing over the top.
8. Mix Dressing & Salad
Stir gently to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Full Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe
Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 3 bunches parsley finely chopped (3 cups)
- ¼ cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 4 green onions very finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa to a dry pan and toast it, stirring frequently until it begins to pop, turns somewhat golden brown, and smells nutty, about 5 minutes.
- Add water and bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and let it cool to room temperature.
- While the quinoa cools, make the dressing by stirring together olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, place the chopped parsley, chopped mint leaves, green onions, and tomatoes. Add the cooled quinoa and pour the dressing over the top. Stir gently to combine. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Boost the protein. Add crumbled feta cheese, roasted chickpeas, or shredded chicken to make the salad a heartier main.
- Add pomegranate seeds. You’ll often see this in a modern version of tabbouleh in Lebanon . Here’s a tutorial on how to cut a pomegranate.
- Stuff it in a pita pocket. Turn quinoa tabbouleh into a more substantial lunch by serving it in pita bread.
Recipe Tips
- Finely chop the parsley by hand. I recommend you chop the parsley yourself for the best texture. A food processor can wilt the parsley and ruin the texture.
- Prep the parsley ahead of time. I like to wash the parsley a day or two before chopping so it can fully dry and not make the tabbouleh soggy.
- Fluff your quinoa. After the quinoa finishes cooking and resting, fluff it with a fork so it doesn’t clump in the salad.
- Chill the ingredients for 30 minutes before tossing. This helps keep the salad crisp and fresh
- Don’t mix the salad until you’re ready to serve. Like all salads, I recommend tossing the dressing right before serving. This is especially true for quinoa tabbouleh, because the parsley can get soggy if it soaks in the dressing for too long.
Serving Ideas
- Appetizers: Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves, Stuffed Dates, Roasted Chickpeas
- Mains: Grilled Lemon Chicken, Lebanese Crispy Falafel, Steak Gyros
- Sides: Homemade Pita Bread, Mediterranean Potato Salad, Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms
Troubleshooting
If your quinoa is too mushy, you might have used too much water or cooked it for too long. If your quinoa is too crunchy, you might not have used enough water or cooked it for long enough.
Tabbouleh relies on fresh ingredients for flavor. If it tastes bland, try adding a little more lemon juice, olive oil, salt, or fresh herbs. Adjust according to your taste preference.
Comments
Hi Yumna, I love your recipes but wanted to ask you a question.
Quinoa, I have always washed before cooking to remove the bitter saponin taste. In this recipe your suggestion is to toast it before adding the water to cook. How would I get around this if I am rinsing before trying to toast? Just let it drain well before toasting?
Do you rinse your quinoa before cooking?
Thank you for all your generous recipes and tips. 😁🇦🇺
Fantastic recipe…I’ve been living on it all summer! So much better than bulgur tabbouleh. Thanks for an amazing and simple recipe 😀
I’m so happy it’s been a go-to for you this summer, Judi!
I made this, but the amount of olive oil and lemon juice was too much for just one cup of quinoa, the oil actually pooled on top. I ended up cooking another cup of quinoa to balance it out.
Hi! Thank you for sharing your feedback. 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa will make about a 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa. I’m going to test this recipe again to see if it’s too much olive oil!
I also doubled the amount of quinoa…just instinctively! I used 1 c dry quinoa and 2 c water.
Thank you for the feedback! I’m going to test this recipe again to see if it needs any adjustments.
Soo delicious 😋 nothing beats a tabbouleh and ham roll, yummo. Glad there’s a recipe to make it with quinoa since I don’t often have bulgar wheat.
I’m so happy to hear that! I’m glad you loved the quinoa version, especially for those times when you don’t have bulgur on hand. Thank you so much for sharing!
It was sooo yummy!!!
I feel like having it every day 🙂
Aww, so glad you loved it! Thank you!!
Too much lemon used for recipe
So sorry you felt that it was too much lemon, Fidha. You can absolutely reduce the amount next time to your flavor preferences.
Are the nutritional facts per serving, or for the entire bowl? What is a “serving size?” Thank you!
Yes, the nutritional info is for 1 serving! There are 4 servings in the recipe. The serving size will vary slightly depending on the ingredients but it should be around 1 cup. Hope that helps!
Fabulous recipe and a great starting point for variations! I omitted the onion and tomato, but added edamame, pumpkin seeds, and a small amount chopped kale. So delicious. The dressing ratio is perfect.
Love your tweaks! Thanks so much, Alex! Glad you liked it!!
Delish! It tastes like traditional tabbouleh, but healthier – even for my guests who can eat gluten. I just wanted enough for me for dinner, so I eyeballed the ingredients, so it looked like your picture. The important thing about the dressing is the ratio of olive oil to lemon juice, which was perfect. With dressing, I always like to start out with what I think is the minimum. You can add more, but you can’t take it away. Also, it gives me a chance to adjust the ratio and the seasoning, if necessary. But in this case my first pass turned out to be perfect. I am looking forward to serving it to friends, soon. Thanks.
p.s. It turned out to be more than I can eat. I bet it will be great tomorrow, too.
Aww, so happy you liked it!! Thank you, Vicki!
I felt that the ratio of dressing to Quinoa was too much and it made it too wet and sloppy, I had to drain it off. I also added some seeded and chopped cucumber to give it some crunch!
So sorry to hear that, thank you for the feedback.
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