Gluten Free Tabbouleh Salad with Chickpeas and Avocado

A simple gluten free tabbouleh salad packed with fresh parsley, mint, creamy avocado, and crunchy chickpeas for extra protein. Ready in less than 30 minutes, and it makes a great meal-prep option for weekdays!

This green mezze salad has been added to my summer rotation of recipes to make regularly. Although traditional tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat, we use fluffy quinoa here to make it gluten-free and protein-rich.

Crunchy chickpeas and creamy avocado are added to make it more substantial as well as nutritious. It's great for meal-prep during the week, but can also be served as a side salad.

Bright, vibrant, and herby, this Middle Eastern salad can be served chilled or at room temperature, which makes it great for picnics and potlucks.

Jump to:

• ⭐️ Why This Recipe Works
• 🍽 What is Tabbouleh?
• 🍋 Ingredient Notes
• 📖 Variations & Substitutions
• 🔪 Recipe Instructions
• 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
• 🍆 Related Recipes
• Gluten Free Tabbouleh Salad with Chickpeas and Avocado

⭐️ Why This Recipe Works

• Fresh, bright, vibrant, and packed with aromatic herbs like parsley and mint
• Healthy, nutritious, protein-rich, vegan/plant-based/dairy-free
• Crunchy, creamy, fluffy, and citrusy
• Simple and easy; ready in less than 30 minutes
• Great option for picnics, potlucks, bbqs, etc.

🍽 What is Tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli or tabbouli) is an herb-forward salad, typically made largely of parsley, mint, lemon, and bulgur wheat. The parsley and mint do much of the heavy lifting, providing the fresh, herby flavor that is ubiquitous with tabbouleh salads.

We substitute quinoa in this recipe for several reasons:

• It's one of my favorite grains
• Rich in protein
• Easier to cook than bulgur wheat
• Light and fluffy texture
• Naturally gluten-free, and therefore more allergy-friendly

🍋 Ingredient Notes

• Quinoa - One of my favorite grains, it has a high amount of protein and is also gluten-free.
• Lemon juice and zest - Adds tangy citrusy flavor
• Chickpeas - Chickpeas are not included in classic tabbouleh recipes, but I wanted to make this a more substantial dish, with added protein.
• Parsley - Essential to tabbouleh; provides fresh herby flavor that is the foundation of our salad.
• Mint - Adds minty freshness
• Avocado - Gives our salad creaminess and added nutrition with healthy fats and protein.

📖 Variations & Substitutions

• Bulgur. If you eat gluten, you can substitute bulgur for the quinoa.
• Tomatoes. Any variety of (chopped) tomato will work great.
• Dried chickpeas. I use canned chickpeas for convenience and budget purposes, but you can also use dried chickpeas.

🔪 Recipe Instructions

Rinse 1 cup of quinoa and add to a saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for around 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Add tomatoes, chickpeas, scallions, parsley, and mint to bowl with cooled quinoa and toss to combine. Add dressing and toss once more. Top with avocado slices.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: You can either cook the quinoa up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the salad, or prepare the entire salad up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it (covered) in the refrigerator.
• Use freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Because lemon juice and lemon zest are one of the key flavors in this salad, fresh lemon juice really makes a difference.
• Rinse quinoa before cooking. Although most brands sold in the U.S. sell pre-rinsed quinoa, it doesn't hurt to give it another rinse! Just be sure to use a fine-mesh strainer.
• Use flat-leaf or curly parsley. In general, flat-leaf has a more robust flavor, but curly can be used here as well, and gives the dish more texture.
• Serve chilled or at room-temperature.
• How to serve: Can be served as part of a mezze/meze platter, along with olives, pita, smoky hummus, and eggplant dip; as a side salad to main dishes like impossible burger meatballs, mediterranean stuffed peppers, and baked salmon with creamy mustard dill sauce; or as a main dish for lunch or dinner.

💬 Frequently Asked Questions

🍆 Related Recipes

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