Circle B Kitchen
This is surely one of the best tabbouleh recipes I’ve had in recent memory. The flavors really pop and the feta cheese brings a wonderful briny, salty, creamy component to the mix. Please do not use a pre-crumbled feta cheese here. Find a nice, creamy block of Greek, French or Israeli feta for maximum flavor and creaminess. Pre-crumbled feta cheese tends to be drier and more grainy.
I’ve made some changes to Ms. Garten’s original recipe. If you would like to check out her recipe, just click on the link below. I’ve cut back the salt a bit and provided what I believe to be a superior cooking method for the quinoa. Any other changes have been noted in the recipe. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten
1 cup quinoa
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil (I used 3 tablespoons)
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)
Rinse the quinoa really well in a strainer set into a larger bowl. Swish the quinoa around in the water and then drain. Repeat this 2 or 3 times or until the water runs clear.
Place the drained quinoa in a pan with 1 ½ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before removing the lid and fluffing with a fork.
Place the quinoa in a bowl and immediately add the lemon juice, olive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste).
In a large bowl, combine the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, and tomatoes. Add the quinoa and mix well. Carefully fold in the feta and taste for seasonings (may add more salt and/or pepper at this point). Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.