Last Updated on February 25, 2022 by Anne-Marie
This gluten free tabbouleh recipe is made with jasmine rice instead of couscous. This simple tabbouleh recipe is ideal for weeknight dinners!
Why this recipe works
Do you love tabbouleh, but avoid it since couscous is made with bulgur wheat and you’re gluten free? Then you’ll have to try this Gluten Free Tabbouleh Recipe!
The secret to keeping this chopped parsley tabbouleh recipe gluten free is that I use fragrant jasmine rice instead of couscous.
While the rice is cooking you can chop the parsley, cilantro, mint, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. Then just toast some pine nuts, if you like, and add a simple lemon and olive oil dressing. It’s that easy!
This gluten free tabbouleh makes the ideal side dish for a variety of meals. See 35 Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Cordon Bleu.
Serve it your next at BBQ party or bring it to a potluck in a pretty bowl. Everyone will love it!
How to make a gluten free rice salad recipe
So what rice do you want to use when making this Gluten Free Tabbouleh Recipe? I chose jasmine rice for it’s nutty aroma and buttery flavor.
Jasmine rice is a delicious, gluten free substitute for the bulgur (cracked wheat) that’s typically used in traditional tabbouleh recipes.
So what’s the difference between jasmine and basmati rice? Here's a graphic that illustrates the differences between the two.
You can use either in this simple tabbouleh recipe, though I found that jasmine rice was less expensive than basmati rice when I was shopping for rice and other tabbouleh salad ingredients at my local store.
Tips for making gluten free tabbouleh
To give jasmine rice even more flavor in my gluten free tabbouleh recipe, I cooked it in vegetable broth.
If you’re gluten free, make sure that store bought vegetable broth you’re using is labeled as gluten free. Don’t assume that all brands are the same.
You can also use chicken broth in this gluten free tabbouleh recipe.
Again, make sure you’re using a gluten free chicken broth product if you’re gluten free or serving your tabbouleh to GF friends or family members.
I prefer flat leaf parsley to curly (Italian) parsley. Personally, I don’t like the texture of the curly parsley in salad.
I also don’t use the thicker part of the stems for the parsley, mint and cilantro because I don’t like the texture and the taste is much stronger.
If you hate cilantro, feel free to leave it out of this recipe for tabbouleh salad. Not everyone is genetically compatible with cilantro and some find that it tastes like soap. If that’s you, just use more parsley instead!
There IS a difference between cherry and grape tomatoes. Yes, both are small and cute.
But cherry tomatoes are much sweeter than grape tomatoes. Make sure to buy cherry and not grape tomatoes for this gluten free tabbouleh recipe.
I like English cucumbers because they don’t have seeds. If you don’t want to pay the higher price, buy regular cucumbers, remove the seeds, then chop and add them to the tabbouleh salad recipe.
Some people also hate pine nuts. If you don’t like them, you can substitute sunflower seeds, toasted almonds, pistachios, or just leave nuts or seeds out altogether in this simple rice salad recipe.
More side salad recipes
Looking for more side salad dishes? Try these recipes:
- Awesome Garbanzo Bean Salad Recipe
- Seven Layer Salad
- Asian Watermelon Fruit Salad Recipe
- Wasabi Coleslaw Recipe
- Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
- Pasta Salad with Roasted Vegetables Recipe
- Broccoli Bacon Salad Recipe
- Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe
- Seafood Pasta Salad Recipe
- Brussel Sprouts Salad with Cranberries Recipe
Gluten Free Tabbouleh Recipe
This gluten free tabbouleh recipe is made with jasmine rice instead of couscous. This simple tabbouleh recipe is ideal for weeknight dinners!
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups gluten free vegetable broth
- 2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup mint, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup diced English cucumber
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a boil.
- Stir in rice. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until all broth is absorbed.
- Remove rice from saucepan and place in a bowl. Fluff rice with a spoon to separate any clumps. Place in the refrigerator to cool down rice.
- While rice is cooking and cooling, prepare the salad. Place chopped parsley, cilantro, and mint in a large bowl. Stir to thoroughly combine.
- To toast pine nuts, heat a small frying pan on medium heat. Add pine nuts and stir occasionally until nuts turn a golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on the pine nuts as they can start burning very quickly. Remove pan from the stove and pour pine nuts into a bowl to cool them off.
- When cooled, add pine nuts along with tomatoes and diced cucumber to the parsley mixture. Add rice and gently stir to combine.
- In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Pour over rice and vegetable mixture and gently stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Keep tabbouleh salad refrigerated until serving time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 245mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 3g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.
I have to pin this recipe – it looks so goooooodd!! 🙂