Gluten free tabbouleh recipe! Based on an authentic Lebanese recipe, this light and refreshing salad is perfect for hot weather days.
Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is a super delicious and refreshing salad filled with fresh herbs, fresh veggies, and finished with a lemon dressing. Although it’s eaten year round, thanks to the fresh and cooling ingredients, it’s the perfect food for hot weather months! Plus, it’s filled with super nutritious ingredients.
Traditional tabbouleh recipes are made with bulgur wheat (sometimes spelled bulgar wheat).
However, this recipe keeps things gluten free by using buckwheat - which is not wheat at all but is a type of seed! Gluten free tabbouleh is a refreshing and easy recipe to make that goes great with falafel or gluten free flatbread.
Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mollusks, celery, corn, sesame, mustard, lupin, sulfites, and more
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Why You’ll Love Gluten Free Tabbouleh
It’s gluten free! Authentic Lebanese tabbouleh uses bulgur but this recipe used buckwheat. You can also use quinoa. Both are a great option to keep things safe for those who don’t eat wheat.
It’s super healthy! Loaded with fresh parsley and other fresh vegetables, this salad will help you get in all your greens for the day.
It’s easy! This recipe is so simple and quick to mix together that it makes a great addition to any BBQ, potluck, or other hot weather gathering.
Ingredients
These are the main ingredients for delicious gluten free tabbouleh.
Parsley - Authentic tabbouleh uses a ton of fresh parsley, which is what makes it so healthy and green! Curly parsley or flat leaf parsley both work great in this recipe. Wash your parsley in cold water and use a salad spinner to get rid of any excess water.
Buckwheat - Buckwheat is not wheat! It is a bad name for something that isn’t a type of grain at all. There is no wheat and no gluten. In fact, buckwheat is a type of seed that is commonly enjoyed in Eastern Europe. It is super nutritious and filled with things like manganese, copper, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus. Buckwheat is also filled with more antioxidants than any other grain.
You will also need: fresh mint leaves, fresh cucumbers, fresh tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, green onions, and garlic.
Substitutions
In place of buckwheat, you can also use things like cooked quinoa, cooked wild rice or brown rice, or even riced cauliflower.
Don't have green onions on hand? You can use finely diced red onion in place of green onion. Use about 1 tablespoon of red onion to replace the green onion.
Instructions
For the full recipe instructions, complete with measurements, please see the recipe card below.
Start by making your buckwheat. In a medium pan on the stove, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the buckwheat, along with salt and a spoonful of olive oil. Give this a stir, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes or so. After cooking, remove from the heat, give it another stir, and let the buckwheat rest covered for another 10 minutes. Allow this to cool completely before making the tabbouleh.
Now it’s time to prep the veggies! Slice up your cucumbers and tomatoes into small bite sized pieces. Set these aside in a large bowl for mixing.
Now finely chop the parsley. There is a lot of parsley here so you can use a food processor to do so. I however, like to chop my parsley by hand as I find the food processor makes it too small. Don’t worry about parsley stems, they offer great flavor and are totally safe to eat.
Finally, make the lemon dressing. Squeeze out the lemon juice and mix it well with olive oil and garlic in a small bowl with a whisk.
All that is left is to mix everything up! In a large bowl with the cucumbers and tomatoes, add the cooked buckwheat, parsley, mint, and lemon dressing. Give it a good mix and taste for seasoning. If it needs a bit more salt, go ahead and add it.
And that’s it!
Top Tips
Tabbouleh is typically served cold or at room temperature. If you have time, allow for the tabbouleh to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to mingle together.
Make a sandwich! Grab your favorite gluten free bread or pita bread, lay down fresh hummus, leftover tabouli, and some leftover chicken or tofu. This makes for such a healthy and delicious lunch!
Want to make it a little sweeter? Add a spoonful of pomegranate molasses to the lemon dressing and whisk together.
How to Store
Tabbouleh keeps fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe and it can not be left on the countertop.
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Recipe
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- cutting board
- food processor (optional)
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoons
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 2 bunches parsley about 2 cups chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- 10-15 fresh mint leaves
- 2-3 green onions
- ½ cup buckwheat cooked and cooled
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Make the buckwheat. In a medium pan on the stove, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the buckwheat, along with salt and a spoonful of olive oil. Give this a stir, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes or so. After cooking, remove from the heat, give it another stir, and let the buckwheat rest covered for another 10 minutes. Allow this to cool completely before making the tabbouleh.
- Chop the veggies. Dice the cucumbers and tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Set into a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the greens. Finely slice the green onions and add to the mixing bowl. To prepare the parsley, cut off the thick stems at the bottom. Using a sharp knife, finely chop the parsley and any remaining stems. Finely chop the mint leaves as well. Add to the mixing bowl.
- Mix the dressing. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice with ½ cup of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Add the garlic powder. Taste for seasoning.
- Mix it all together. Add the buckwheat and lemon dressing to the mixing bowl with the other ingredients. Stir together until all combined. Taste for seasoning and enjoy!
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