What an amazing summer it has been! If you follow me on Instagram you already know, I went on a vacation to Italy and Jordan and it was quite the culinary experience. The food I ate on my trip was beyond delicious, every single dish, and that's not an exaggeration. I couldn't wait to come home and experiment to recreate some of the astounding flavors I tasted. One of my favorites was the Fruity Tabbouleh I tried in Jordan. Personally, I'm not big on fruits in my salad and was hesitant to order this dish. But, thank God I did! It was the perfect combination of textures and flavors. With every bite you get soft, fluffy quinoa, crunch and freshness from the pomegranate seeds, more crunch from the walnuts, tart chewiness from the dried cranberries, and a fruity, sweet freshness from the strawberries. There is so much going on in this simple dish, it will surprise you! It's the perfect summer salad!
Ingredients:
2 bunches flat leaf parsley, minced
20 mint leaves, finely minced
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
20 raw walnuts
1 cup diced strawberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup lemon juice
5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red Aleppo pepper
Directions:
In a pot, add olive oil and toast quinoa slightly.
Add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered till theres no water left.
In the meantime, clean and mince parsley and mint leaves.
Place walnuts in a food processor and grind till the are a coarse powder. Do not grind it to a sand texture! Let there be bits and pieces.
Once quinoa cooks, fluff with fork and set aside to cool. Quinoa shouldn't be fully cooked. It should be 'al dente'.
Dice the strawberries.
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and toss!
