This turnip greens and quinoa tabbouleh salad is the result of my commitment to get greens into my diet on a daily basis.
It's been my routine for years now and this recipe reflects a creative, tasty and healthy way to get them in. Turnip greens, mustard, collards, kale, etc. it don't matter. It's just greens by any means necessary.
The first time I had tabbouleh salad was at the since-closed Cafe Athenee in far North Dallas. My former Latin Teacher recommended I take my future wife there for Valentine's Day. I guess it was a good call on his part. At the time it was the only Romanian restaurant in the city as there just wasn't much attention paid to Eastern European cuisine.
And in retrospect, my girlfriend at the time and now wife would argue I didn't pay her enough attention and/or show enough love. Cafe Athenee, despite its nondescript exterior and minimalist signage, was one of the most romantic restaurants in all of Dallas and marked the beginning of my new and improved courtship.
MOOD MUSIC
What Is Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh is a vegetarian salad usually made with bulgar then mixed chopped ingredients like tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, and onions. It's common in the Mediterranian and nations like Lebanon.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Ingredients
As I listened to No Love a song she doesn't play nearly enough in concert, I got my usual music high and reminisced on the early days, including conversations with wifey over tabbouleh at Café Athenee. No Love is slow head bobbin music and has a perfect cadence for chopping up vegetables for my version of a tabbouleh salad. In addition to the turnip greens and cherry tomatoes, I used quinoa in place of the bulgur to get a bit more protein and to make it gluten-free. This rounded out my tabbouleh remix.
- Quinoa
- Turnip Greens
- Fresh Parsley
- Fresh Mint
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Lemon Juice
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
How to make Quinoa Tabbouleh (Step by Step)
Step 1: Cook the quinoa
Rinse and drain quinoa. Add quinoa and 2 cups of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil then decrease heat, cover and simmer. Cook until quinoa has absorbed all the water (15-20 minutes). Remove the pot from the heat and let quinoa steam for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.
Step 2: Toss the salad
Transfer quinoa to a large mixing bowl and toss with all remaining ingredients until combined well. Adjust seasonings for taste
Serving Suggestions
We eat this as an appetizer served with pita bread. It also makes for a great side salad. Pair it with any of these:
Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
For other similar recipes, try these:
Black Rice Salad w/ Sweet Potatoes
If you make this simple and greens and quinoa tabbouleh or any other from the site, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
You can also keep up with my food exploits as well as original recipes! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you like any of the music you find on the site, visit me at Spotify to find curated monthly playlists.
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch turnip greens finely chopped
- 2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley from 3 bunches
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ seedless cucumber* peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh colander and rinse under running water for at least 30 seconds. Drain well.
- Combine the rinsed quinoa and water in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat, cover, and simmer.
- Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, about 10 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the pot and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. This step gives the quinoa time to pop open into little curlicues, so it’s nice and fluffy.
- Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- Transfer quinoa to a bowl and toss with remaining ingredients until combined well.
Michael Dwelley
Friday 28th of December 2018
Thank you for sharing.