Amaranth is an extremely tiny, yet extremely nutritious seed that cooks up like a grain (like quinoa). It is gluten-free and high in protein, calcium and magnesium. It has a really interesting flavor, and I really enjoyed it in this amaranth tabouli.
This tabouli (aka tabbouleh) recipe is adapted from one I saw in Saveur Magazine. I love how heavy it is on the parsley and the mint, and the addition of cinnamon drew me in, as well. The Saveur recipe also calls for allspice, but I didn’t have any, so left it out.
If you prefer to make tabouli the traditional way, with bulgur wheat, you combine 3 tablespoons of bulgur with 1/2 cup of warm water and let the bulgur soak for 10 minutes. Bulgur is precooked, so you can mix it with the other ingredients after this soaking. If you don’t eat gluten, though, another option is to make this recipe with quinoa.
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Related recipes you might enjoy:
Quinoa Tabouli at Organic Spark
Tabouli at My Adventures in Food
Taboulleh at Chuckling Pig
This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday.
Recipe for Amaranth Tabouli
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- *1 cup amaranth
- *1/2 cups water
- *3-4 tomatoes cored and chopped
- *2 cups chopped/minced parsley get it as fine as you have the desire/patience for
- *2 cups chopped/minced fresh mint same as above
- *4 scallions chopped
- *1/3 cup fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- *5 tablespoons olive oil plus more to taste
- *generous pinch of ground cinnamon plus more to taste
Instructions
- 1. Heat amaranth in a skillet over low heat, stirring constantly, until the grains start to pop and the amaranth is fragrant (1-2 minutes). Transfer to a small pot and add the water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until most, if not all, of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes, covered.
- 2. Cool the cooked amaranth, then combine with the rest of the ingredients. Stir well to combine, taste for seasonings, and serve.
