The Sunday Cookbook: Gluten-Free Tabbouleh with Kale and Chickpeas

Tabbouleh is a classic middle-eastern, Mediterranean salad, typically made with tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, onion, and bulgur wheat. A Lebanese dish my family loves can be deemed deadly for Amanda. In our version, we replaced the traditional bulgur with quinoa, making it gluten-free and still super delicious.

It can stand alone as a vegetarian main dish, thanks to quinoa's protein content, or be served as a side dish. We have even prepped the salad to enjoy as a lunch during the workweek. Just store in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of cooked quinoa

• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

• 1/2 bunch of kale

• 1/4 cup fresh mint or basil, chopped

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/3 cup red or white onion, diced finely

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/8 cup lemon juice, or the juice of 1 lemon

• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced (omit if you are nightshade-free)

• Feta cheese, crumbled, optional

Directions

1. Cook the quinoa as directed and set aside to cool.

2. Wash the parsley and gather it back into a bunch. Start at the leafy top and cut perpendicular to the stems, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch cuts, until you reach the point where there are only the stems left. Discard the stems - there will be some stems left behind, that is okay.

3. Repeat step number 2 with the kale.

4. Combine the parsley and kale on your cutting board and, with a knife or cleaver, chop until the pieces are no longer than 1/4 inch. It should be very fine, but you want to be careful not to turn it into a paste.

5. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, parsley and kale, mint/basil, cucumber, chickpeas, and onions; give it a stir.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon.

7. Add salt and stir.

8. If adding, toss in the feta cheese.

9. Enjoy!