There’s no question that quinoa’s moment in the sun is well deserved. It’s protein-packed, fibre-rich, and gluten-free, a truly nutritionally blessed wonder food. Use it in this tabouleh dish instead of cracked wheat to make the time-honoured salad gluten-free.
Makes 8-10 servings
Ingredients
For the quinoa:
180ml olive oil
2 shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
250g quinoa
360ml boiling water or vegetable or chicken stock
For the salad:
80g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
25g chopped fresh coriander
15g chopped fresh mint
2 Kirby or Persian cucumbers, diced
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1 large fennel bulb, cored and diced (reserve 2 fronds for serving)
1 long hot chilli, deseeded and chopped (optional)
1 small red onion, diced
3 spring onions, green parts only, chopped
120ml olive oil
Juice of 2 large lemons (about 120ml)
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Method
Make the quinoa: In a deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the shallots are golden. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, then add the salt, black pepper and cumin. Add the quinoa and boiling water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked through.
Remove from the heat and spread over a baking tray to cool.
Assemble the salad: Place the quinoa in a large bowl and add the parsley, coriander, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, fennel, chilli, if using, onion and spring onions and toss to combine. Add the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and serve garnished with the fennel fronds.
Levant by Rawia Bishara is published by Kyle Books, £20. Photography by Con Poulos.
