Quinoa Tabbouleh

My final semester of graduate school began last week. It’s hard to believe that it has been a year since I moved away from Chicago. I left the city overwhelmed and burned out after several years in nonprofit development. I didn’t have much of an end goal when I started library school. I was simply eager for a change. In the last twelve months I’ve had the opportunity to meet many fascinating and brilliant people, to visit new places, to commute by bike for the first time in years, to encounter new ways of thinking about information, how people seek it, and how to organize it. I’ve even started to find my own focus in the field. It’s been wonderful to be back in school. I plan to thoroughly enjoy these last few months.

In additional to my library courses, I stepped a bit out of my comfort zone and signed up for a studio art course on RAW photography. I haven’t taken an art class since middle school and I’m ecstatic to be doing so again. I’m the only student from outside the art department, and while I’m slightly afraid of looking foolish, I couldn’t be happier.

The start of the academic year means that falling leaves and sweaters are right around the corner. These last few weeks of late summer are always my favorite, with milder temperatures and perfect tomatoes. Here is a healthier take on traditional tabbouleh that calls for some of the abundant summer herbs and vegetables that are still available.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients

1 C black quinoa – rinsed
1/2 medium cucumber – peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium tomatoes – seeds squeezed out and diced (I used one red and one yellow)
1/4 medium red onion – diced
3 garlic cloves – minced
2 C flat-leaf parsley – stems removed and chopped
1/2 C mint – stems removed and chopped
2 Tbl lemon juice
1/4 C olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Bring two cups of salted water to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add the quinoa, turn down the heat to medium-low, and cover. Simmer about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and fluffy.

When the quinoa is cooked, pour off any excess water and add the quinoa to a large bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper, and salt and pour the dressing over the quinoa. Stir to combine evenly. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley, and mint. Stir to combine. Add additional salt and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate and serve chilled.