Ina Garten Quinoa Tabbouleh with Feta

Ina Garten quinoa tabbouleh with feta takes 35 minutes and quinoa, fresh mint, parsley and creamy feta to make a bright, nutty grain salad. It's an easy make ahead quinoa salad for summer picnics, potlucks or cookouts, and it's meatless and keeps for days in the fridge.

Dress the quinoa with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt the second it's drained, because the hot grains soak up the dressing. Wait until it cools and the salad tastes flat and dry.

Ina Garten swapped quinoa in for the bulgur in her favorite tabbouleh and liked the nutty result even more. Quinoa also carries more protein than most grains, so this version fills you up as a lunch.

Source: Make It Ahead (2014)

Ina Garten Quinoa Tabbouleh with Feta

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SaladCuisine: American, MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

290

kcal

Fluffy quinoa tossed with a big handful of mint, parsley and scallions makes a bright, lemony salad. Salty feta cubes and juicy tomatoes add creamy and fresh bites in every forkful.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
  

• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (5 scallions)
  

• 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (2 bunches)
  

• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  

• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
  

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved through the stem
  

• 2 cups medium-diced feta (8 ounces)
  

Directions

• Cook the quinoa: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then add 1 cup quinoa and 1 teaspoon salt. Lower the heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, until the grains are tender and open with little curly tails.
• Dress the grains: Drain the quinoa and put it in a bowl. Right away stir in 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, so the warm grains take in all that flavor.
• Mix the vegetables: Combine the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Use a seeded, unpeeled cucumber, since the seeds would make the salad watery.
• Combine everything: Add the dressed quinoa to the large bowl and mix well. Then fold in the feta gently so the cubes stay whole, and taste for seasoning.
• Serve: Serve the tabbouleh at room temperature if you're eating it soon. Otherwise refrigerate it and serve it cold.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, Cuisinart fine mesh strainer set, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make quinoa tabbouleh ahead of time?

Yes, it's built for that. Make the salad without the feta, cover it and refrigerate for up to 4 days, then fold in the feta right before serving.

Why add the feta at the end?

Folding the feta in just before serving keeps the cubes firm and creamy instead of crumbly and soft. It also stops the salty cheese from seasoning the salad too much while it sits.

Can I use bulgur instead of quinoa?

Yes, classic tabbouleh uses bulgur, and Ina Garten started from that version. Cook or soak the bulgur according to its package and dress it while it's still warm, the same way as the quinoa.

Can I make this salad without feta?

It works without it, and the make-ahead version is made that way anyway. Chickpeas or a little diced avocado stirred in at serving time give you a similar creamy bite.

What's the most common mistake with this salad?

Under-seasoning is the big one, since quinoa soaks up a lot of salt. Taste after folding everything together and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice until it tastes bright.