Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

I replaced the traditional bulgur in Tabbouleh Salad with Quinoa. Quinoa is a very nutritious ancient grain, because it contains all eight essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. I love this funny looking grain :-)

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

1 cup uncooked Quinoa

4 ripe medium tomatoes, diced

1 large cucumber (preferably seedless), diced

2 scallions, diced

2 cups finely chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 Tbs olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

salt and black pepper to taste

Combine the Quinoa with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook 15-20 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until the grain gets cold.

In a large bowl, combine all the veggies, herbs, optional garlic and Quinoa. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix until well combined. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.