What Is Lentil Tabbouleh?
Lentil tabbouleh, also referred to as tabouli, is a delicious twist on traditional salad that contains bulgur wheat, tomato, fresh herbs and scallions. Gluten-free versions typically use lentils and quinoa in its place – lentils being food grade seeds from legumes; therefore making them a healthier food option suitable for gluten-free or grain-free diets.
Lentil tabbouleh is an gluten-free version of Mediterranean bulgur and parsley salad, creating an irresistibly refreshing mezze (appetizer) or side dish to accompany barbecued shrimp skewers or pork chops. For optimal results, authentic flavoring requires using flat-leaf parsley with its stems intact.
Utilize these helpful hints for making delicious, refreshing and protein-packed tabbouleh composed of lentils:
Add more vegetables
Traditional tabbouleh does not typically include fresh vegetables other than tomatoes; however, you can tailor its ingredients and recipes to your own personal preferences by including chopped bell peppers, cucumbers, thinly cut green onions or red onions marinated with sumac for this Middle Eastern salad.
Choose the right lentil
There is an assortment of this legume available at your store. Keep in mind that while green and red lentils may have the same cooking time, green lentils tend to keep their shape for longer and are therefore great choices for salads.
Make the lentil tabbouleh salad ahead of time
Prepping salad in advance allows its dressing to blend fully with its ingredients for maximum flavor and depth of taste. Use a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap before chilling it overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying at either chilled or room temperature temperatures.
Use fresh herbs
Fresh herbs are an integral component of tabbouleh, adding both color and flavor. When selecting fresh herbs such as freshly cut mint or parsley stems for this dish, fresher versions are always preferred over dried. Flat-leafed parsley varieties such as “Fresh Cut Parsley” are popular ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 fresh parsley bunch
- 1 garlic
- ½ white onion or red onion
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 300 g cherry tomato or 1 small punnet
- 1 can brown lentils
- 2 medium sweet potato
- Salt and black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil to serve
Optional
- Additional or alternative herbs to add — coriander or mint
Instructions
- Bring water and lentils to a boil over high heat in a medium-sized saucepan on high. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer with lid partially covering until lentils are tender but not soggy, approximately 25 minutes later.
- While your lentils cook, prepare an accompaniment by mixing tomatoes, olive oil onions salt and pepper together in a large bowl; set it aside while turning them over every so often during their preparation.
- Rinse lentils thoroughly and set them aside until cool.
- Add cooked lentils, parsley, cucumber and lemon juice to the tomato mixture and toss until well mixed and coated with sauce. Either serve immediately or cover and store up to one day in an airtight container for later consumption.
- Serving size: 3/4 cup
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