Do you love the refreshing taste of tabouli, but sometimes want something a little lighter to accompany an already filling meal?
Or maybe you are watching your carbs or eating gluten-free...then this Grain Free Tabouli Salad is perfect for you!
Our Grain Free Tabouli Salad makes a wonderful accompaniment to shish kebab, rice pilaf and other Armenian fare.
There are just a few minor, but key differences between the Grain Free Tabouli Salad and the Best Ever Armenian Tabouli Salad on our blog. However, you will find they deserve equal consideration when planning your menu.
As mentioned before, the grain free version does not have any… you guessed it… grain! We are not substituting quinoa or anything for the bulgur. But we promise you won't miss a thing with this refreshing chopped salad. We use crisp iceberg lettuce instead of romaine, and finely chopped yellow onion instead of green onion. It still has the same zippy mint and lemon flavors of the original salad.
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What Ingredients Do I Need to Make Grain Free Tabouli Salad?
- Parsley: Fresh, curly parsley will help provide texture to the salad.
- Iceberg lettuce: Crisp, mild-tasting leaves provide a little crunch.
- Yellow onion: Adds a little more crunch and enhances the flavors of lemon and mint without being overpowering.
- Mint leaves: Fresh mint leaves chopped up finely pack a lot of flavor in a small quantity.
- Tomatoes: Garden-ripe or vine-ripe tomatoes are ideal.
- Cucumbers: English cucumbers are well-suited to tabouli. Peel all of the skin or stripes of skin from the cucumbers to prevent tasting too much bitterness.
- Olive oil: Preferably extra-virgin olive oil, which not only tastes delicious but provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemons are definitely best!
How Do I Make Grain Free Tabouli Salad?
First, chop all the fresh vegetables and herbs very finely. I use a technique of roughly chopping my vegetables by hand and then throwing them in the food processor for a few pulses. Err on the side of caution when using the food processor. It’s best to finish chopping any stray non-uniform pieces by hand than over pulsing. Also strain any liquid that develops from chopping in the food processor.
For the dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt pepper and sugar.
Chill the vegetables, herbs and dressing for at least an hour. Toss all the chopped ingredients with the dressing about 10-20 minutes before serving. This salad goes great with Lula Kebabs or regular Shish Kebabs. A great recipe to try is from our friends at Hilda's Kitchen Blog: Lamb Shish Kebabs With Grilled Vegetables.
📖 Recipe
Grain Free Tabouli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of parsley
- ½ a large head of iceberg lettuce
- 1 large yellow onion
- 4-6 vine-ripened tomatoes
- 2 long English cucumbers
- ½ cup finely chopped mint leaves
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½-1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- First, chop all the fresh vegetables and herbs very finely.
- For the dressing, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt pepper and sugar.
- Chill the chopped ingredients and dressing for at least an hour. Toss the dressing over the salad about 10-20 minutes before serving.
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