April 20, 2013

Sprouted Quinoa Tabbouleh

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Traditional tabbouleh is a Levantine Arab salad made with bulgur. I decided to substitute bulgur with sprouted quinoa. A friend introduced me to quinoa four years ago, after becoming aware of my gluten intolerance. Quinoa has a delicate texture with a slightly nutty flavor. It's an excellent substitution for rice or wheat, and it's a great source of protein. It contains all essential amino acids needed for tissue development, therefore it's considered a complete protein.

Sprouting Quinoa

1/2 cup dry Quinoa
2 cups water
(this makes 1 1/2 cups of sprouted quinoa)

Sprouting quinoa is very simple. Soak your quinoa in water for 30 minutes. For this recipe, I used 1/2 cup of dry quinoa, covered it with two cups of water. After 30 minutes, drain well, and place in a warmer area for sprouting. Rinse and drain every 12 hours, until 1/4 inch sprouts appear. My sprouting process took 36 hours and 1/2 cup of dry quinoa made 1 1/2 cups of sprouted quinoa.

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Tabbouleh Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sprouted quinoa
1 cup diced organic tomatoes
2 cups diced organic cucumbers
1 cup diced organic red bell peppers
1/2 cup organic green onions
1/2 cup chopped organic red onions
1 cup organic parsley
1/4 cup chopped organic mint
1/4 cup chopped organic cilantro
chopped avocados (optional)

I love this dish because I include some of my favorite vegetables; the colors and aroma are irresistible. I find tabouleh to be one of the  most attractive fresh meals of spring or summer, and everything tastes so much sweeter when they are in season. And best of all, all these veggies can be grown in your own garden. Chop up all the vegetables and place them in a bowl.


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To avoid breaking off the quinoa sprouts, I mix the vegetables together first, before adding the quinoa. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, this will allow the flavors to blend. 

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Tabbouleh Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Lemon juice
1 large Garlic clove
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste

Using your high-speed blender, blend ingredients until smooth and creamy.


Gently combine sprouted quinoa with vegetables. Plate your salad and pour desired amount of dressing on top. I served this as main course, added some chopped avocados and it was a very delicious and satisfying meal. If you want to add more protein to your dinner, serve tabouleh with salmon or chicken.

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2 comments:

  1. this looks great just started sprouting grains now I should try quinoa

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    Replies
    1. Hi Rebecca,
      Sprouting quinoa is very simple and I enjoy its flavor when the sprouts are smaller, about 1/4 inch. They will store longer in the fridge as well. If you sprout it longer, it will taste sharper. They are usually done between 24-48 hours. Enjoy.

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