I’ve been having a bit of a quinoa obsession lately. Due to her gluten intolerance and my father’s need to have at least something that resembled a carb at the table, my mother used to make it all the time while I was growing up. Not many people really talked about quinoa back in 1997, and it certainly didn’t appear on any restaurant menus that I knew of, so I lumped it in the category of Weird Health Foods My Mother Liked (along with green soup, carob chips, and Rice Dream ice cream). Today, it’s one of my favorite grains, mainly because of how well it absorbs any flavor you add to it. I have nothing against bulgar wheat, but I must say that tabouli never tasted so fresh and lemony as when using quinoa as the base. I served it recently alongside these salmon burgers in order to use up the last of the season’s beautiful cherry and grape tomatoes.
From my kitchen, albeit small, to yours,
Phoebe, THE QUARTER-LIFE COOK
Quinoa Tabouli with Mint, Parsley, and Preserved Lemons
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
12oz quinoa
1 quart chicken stock
1 shallot, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 tsp white vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemons
1 lemon, juiced
3 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
Place quinoa and chicken stock in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, cover the pot, and simmer until all the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, combine shallot, tomatoes, herbs, vinegar, preserved lemons, lemon juice, and olive oil in a large mixing bowl. When the quinoa has finished cooking, add it to the bowl and toss all ingredients until well incorporated. Taste for seasoning, and add salt as necessary.
