Blueberry Basil Quinoa Tabouli

I love quinoa tabouli when the weather gets warm.  The traditional version with cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley is delicious, but sometimes it can be fun to make variations of it according to what is in season or what is available.  One of my favorite additions is fresh fruit.  Peaches and mangos are delicious when you switch up the herbs, but I also make a blueberry basil version that is a favorite.  I add in some almonds for crunch, and it becomes a substantial salad or even lunch to take along to work.  It keeps well for a few days, so if you double the batch it is a nice go to side to have on hand.

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

Twitter Facebook

Servings: 4 Servings | Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup fresh organic blueberries
• 1 large organic cucumber peeled, seeded and diced small
• 2 organic scallions, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh organic basil leaves, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh organic mint, minced
• 3/4 cup toasted almonds
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
• 1 large organic garlic clove, minced
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool.

When quinoa is cool, combine with the berries, cucumber, basil, scallions, and almonds. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, and sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss dressing with salad, and chill.