Quinoa Tabbouleh

Summer is here in Phoenix, regardless of whether or not the solstice has actually passed. Sunlight stretches itself out across longer days. The noisy kids that used to throw rocks at each other (and our windows) in the grass behind our apartment have moved on to throwing each other into the pool. And, oh yeah, it’s hot. The perk of weather being warmer, however, is that produce like fruits and tomatoes are in season and there are lots to go around. Cheap fruits = happy Emily.

Since it’s so hot (and, honestly, I’m a little lazy when it comes to cooking sometimes), I’ve been eating way more fruits and vegetables than before, and almost no meat. It’s part of a phenomenon that happens to me every summer season, in which I have almost no desire to eat anything except for fruit and smoothies. And while some people - like Jonas (pronounced Yoh-nuss, by the way), the man I bought dates from at the farmers market - may be able to live exclusively on fruit for years, I actually cannot. Not even for a day. What I can do, however, is make food that will sound appealing when I get home from making people large hot black Americanos even when it’s 110 degrees out. One such food is tabbouleh.

Traditionally, tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat. However, I had no bulgur (it’s not exotic – just whole wheat kernels ground into different sizes), but had lots of quinoa, so that's what I used. It has a similar texture, tastes great, and is also gluten free!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

½ cup dry quinoa, rinsed

¼ cup olive oil

Juice from one lemon

½ a cucumber, peeled and chopped

½ cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 tbsp fresh mint, minced

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Black pepper and dried oregano to taste

Add quinoa to a saucepan with 1 ½ cups of water. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to at least room temperature. While the quinoa is cooling off, juice your lemon and chop the herbs and vegetables. When the quinoa is ready, add the lemon juice, oil, and herbs directly into the bowl and mix so that everything is evenly coated.

You can enjoy this recipe as a salad alongside a protein, or on its own with pita, vegetables, and hummus. Either way, it’s so refreshing, and lasted me a week.