The beauty of making tabbouleh salad, apart from its enticing freshness (thanks to the cucumber, parsley, lemon and mint), is that you can use any type of grain you like (or is on sale or in your pantry at the moment)! I have used bulgur wheat, quinoa and farro, each to great success. Just now (pictured here) I used both quinoa and farro. Do whatever you like! That’s the most important part!
Here’s what Farro might look like if you buy it at Trader Joe’s. Kind of looks like puffed rice cereal, before the puff. It has a mild, nutty flavor and works well in place of rice, barley, quinoa or lentils. Farro is an “ancient grain,” and is super trendy right now, thanks to the push for “plant based diets.” Farro is tasty and touts a number of benefits to support good health, so I’m all for it! Here are a few: it’s high in fiber, and protein (5 grams fiber, 6 grams protein in 1/4 cup!); it has 20% of the Vitamin B3 (niacin) that you need per day, magnesium, zinc and iron. So, this is a pretty loaded little salad if you’re using farro.
But wait! Quinoa has got it going on, too!!
This is a finished salad with quinoa.
Quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids and also boasts a high fiber content and iron. Quinoa also brings lysine (tissue growth and repair), magnesium (relaxes blood vessels, can help migraines, promotes healthy blood sugar control, body temperature regulation and healthy bones and teeth), riboflavin (improves energy within brain and muscle cells), and manganese, a powerful cancer-fighting antioxidant.
But wait! You are NOT coming in third if you choose to make this with classic bulgur wheat. This is cooked bulgur wheat.
Despite the black eye it’s gotten from gluten-haters, bulgur wheat is just like quinoa and farro, in that it is also a complete protein, low in fat, high in minerals like manganese, magnesium and iron, and high in fiber, and some research suggests that it has powerful anti-inflammatory effects on the body, which makes it great for high performance athletes.
Listen, I’m not going to lecture you on the outrageous health benefits of every single ingredient in this simple salad, but I am just going to tell you that you can’t go wrong with any of these three grains, plus the veggies and herbs: fresh tabbouleh is a health food, plant based, delicious, herbaceous KNOCKOUT little salad.
It’s important to follow the cooking instructions on the package of whichever grain you are using. Cooking times and methods vary. For example, quinoa and bulgur wheat each require you to MEASURE the water you are using, because instead of straining the excess liquid, it is expected to be absorbed by the grain, i.e., you won’t have any excess liquid if you measure properly. Farro is like pasta: you use a big pot of water, and in 8 – 10 minutes, it’s tender/done, and you strain it.
Top tabbouleh salad with another protein like fish, chicken or steak, or let it stand alone. Enjoy!