The table at Christmas usually leans one way: rich, brown, and heavy enough that you want a lie down by three o’clock. I’ve stopped fighting that entirely, but I do like to slip one dish onto the table that pulls in the other direction. This quinoa tabouleh is the one I reach for.
It’s the colour that gets people first. Red pomegranate against green parsley and mint, all of it catching the light, and it looks like it belongs at a celebration without any effort on my part. Then you eat a forkful and it’s fresh and sharp and a little bit nutty, and somehow you feel better rather than fuller.
Quinoa is a complete protein and a fantastic wheat-free alternative. With twice the protein content of rice or barley, it’s also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese, and it carries good levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre. I notice the difference on a day full of eating: something with a bit of protein and fibre in it keeps my energy on an even keel instead of the spike-and-slump you get from the pastries and the punch. If you want to read more on getting the balance right across a big day, this piece on nailing nutrition is a calm place to start.
Ingredients
Tabouleh
- 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley chopped (not too fine)
- 3/4 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 cup cucumber diced
- 6 cherry tomatoes – quartered or halved depending on size
- 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped
- 1/4 cup raw pistachios
- 1/2 pomegranate kernels
Dressing
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2-3 Tbsp flaxseed or olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tamari
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp psyllium powder or 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- Pinch of black or cayenne peper
Method
- To make tabouleh, combine all tabouleh ingredients in a bowl and mix evenly.
- To make dressing, put all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend til smooth.
- To assemble salad, pour dressing over and toss gently with a fork.
Serves 4 as a side.
Serving, make-ahead and a few gentle swaps
This is a forgiving dish, which is half of why I like it in a busy December week. You can cook the quinoa a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge, then chop the parsley and mint on the morning and bring it together in ten minutes. I’d hold the dressing separate until just before serving so the herbs stay lively rather than wilting into the bowl.
Once it’s dressed it will happily sit for a few hours, so it travels well to a lunch that isn’t yours to host. Leftovers are honestly better the next day, folded through a bowl of greens or spooned alongside some poached salmon with fennel for a light meal that doesn’t feel like penance after a big weekend.
On the swaps: no pistachios in the cupboard? Toasted almonds or pepitas do the job. If pomegranate isn’t in season, a handful of quartered cherry tomatoes still gives you that festive red. The psyllium or ground flaxseed in the dressing is there for a bit of body and fibre, and it’s a small, easy way to add a little more to your day. If you’re curious about eating for a settled gut over the season, the gut health challenge is worth a look, and Better Health Channel has a plain, sensible read on fibre if you want the background. My one strong opinion here: don’t chop the parsley too fine. You want to feel the herb, not lose it into a paste.
When the rest of the table is doing the heavy lifting, a bowl like this is the quiet counterweight. It’s the plate I go back to, and I usually sleep better for having had it. If you’re building a spread with a bit of variety, our recipe collection has plenty more in this vein.
— Tanya Pryce, Golden Door Living
