Red Quinoa Tabouli with Pomegranate

This Red Quinoa Tabouli with Pomegranate is a healthy gluten-free salad for a fall or winter meal. Pomegranate arils give it a festive touch. It has all the flavour of tabouli without the gluten!

Don't those little pomegranate jewels look like holiday lights?  This Red Quinoa Tabouli with Pomegranate seeds will definitely be on the menu this holiday season. I made a pact with myself to avoid refined sugar-laden favourites and I'm determined to keep our diet wholesome and healthy.

Wait . . . I'm wavering a little here. I'm remembering Nana's Butter Tarts. Really, Christmas without butter tarts? I may have to reconsider that commitment. No butter tart recipe anywhere compares with hers. It's just simply the best.

But look at this quinoa tabouli salad.  It's festive! It's red and green! It's healthy! And even better, it's absolutely scrumptious.

Traditional tabouli is made with bulgur, a whole wheat grain. It's high in fiber and protein, but being wheat, it contains gluten. Quinoa also has a high protein content, is nutrient rich and is gluten-free. While I often use white quinoa, this time I opted for the more festive colour.

This gluten-free tabouli salad has all the flavour of traditional tabouli with lots of mint, parsley and lemon. It has the added benefit of a pop from those pretty pomegranate arils. I love how adding pomegranate seeds to salads makes them look so festive, as in this Pomegranate Mandarin Salad with Avocado and Feta and this Kiwi Mandarin Spinach Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing.

This Red Quinoa Tabouli is a quick and easy side dish

1. First, cook the quinoa and allow it to cool.
2. Add onion, parsley and mint.
3. Next, whisk the dressing ingredients together.
4. And finally, sprinkle with pomegranate arils and chill!

Letting go of our traditional sugary holiday foods, and choosing healthier options instead just might result in new favourites for your family.  But . . .  butter tarts.

Festive Red Quinoa Tabouli with Pomegranate

This Red Quinoa Tabouli with Pomegranate has all the flavour of traditional tabouli but is gluten-free.

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Course: Salad

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 359kcal

Author: Elaine

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ ½ cup red onion, finely diced
• ▢ 2 cups loosely packed flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• ▢ ½ cup pomegranate arils
• ▢ ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

• Rinse the quinoa, combine it with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool completely.
• Chop onion, parsley and mint. Combine with cooled quinoa in a large bowl.
• Whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper together and toss the salad.
• Top with pomegranate arils and serve or chill until serving time.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 610mg | Potassium: 526mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2765IU | Vitamin C: 51.6mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 4.2mg

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