Quinoa Tabouleh

Good party dishes are hard to find, particularly with all the common dietary restrictions these days. Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, nut allergies...it's a challenge to come up with a simple, inexpensive dish that's filling, flavorful, will feed everyone, and can sit out for several hours without spoiling.

This recipe is an adaptation of Claudia Roden's Lebanese tabbouleh, from her classic A Book of Middle Eastern Food. I've substituted the bulghur (cracked wheat) for high protein quinoa for my gluten intolerant friends. I like quinoa for its light texture and nutty flavor, but if gluten isn't a problem, you can use the bulghur, Israeli or regular couscous, or orzo pasta. For extra flavor, pitted kalamata olives and crumbled feta are a nice, but not traditional addition.

For 8-10 servings as a side, you will need:

• 2 cups quinoa, red, white, or a mixture of the two
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 bunch mint, about 1 cup packed leaves, finely chopped
• 1 bunch parsley, about 2 cups leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
• Zest and juice of 1-2 large lemons, to taste
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (start with 1/3 cup and add more if you like a richer flavor and texture)
• Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a medium pot, combine quinoa, water, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to release steam and speed up the cooling if you're short on time. Meanwhile, finely chop the vegetables, either by hand or in a food processor. Once the quinoa has cooled, stir in the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, parsley, mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the salt. Refrigerate until ready to use. The longer the salad sits, ideally for several hours or overnight, the more the flavors meld. Before serving, taste again and adjust salt, pepper, and add another squeeze of lemon if desired. It is delicious cold or at room temperature.