Mediterranean Millet Tabbouleh Salad is a gluten-free twist on a classic Middle Eastern salad, traditional flavors, yet the swap of millet instead of bulgur wheat.
Have You Had Tabbouleh?
If you’ve ever had tabbouleh, you would realize that this beautiful salad, often served alongside a simple summer meal, is all about the parsley!
Unlike many greens we put in a salad, parsley holds up well to the dressing of lemon and olive oil, without going limp.
Millet Instead Of Bulgur Wheat
The use of bulgur wheat in tabbouleh reminds me of a traditional salad of Spain, called Escalivada, and another of Portugal call Panzanella, both are salads made with day old bread.
The bread has a beautiful way of soaking up the lemony dressing, which is exactly what the bulgur wheat and millet do.
Millet Tabbouleh Salad
A beautiful, gluten-free twist on a classic Middle Eastern Salad.
This refreshing tabbouleh recipe will fast become a favorite of your summertime side salads.
Especially during that time of year when farmers markets, or even your own gardens, are bursting with the ingredients for this salad, known in many parts of the world.
Millet, in my opinion, has a far more interesting flavor that the wheat does in this salad, and actually has a bit of sweetness, much as nuts do.
What Is Millet
Let me just say that I did not grow up eating millet.
Bulgur wheat was always the grain used in many Syrian dishes my mom made, such as Kibbeh and for sure the tabbouleh she made.
However, with many in my family choosing to remain gluten-free, I have fallen in love with millet!
It’s flavor has a bit of sweetness, likened to pine nuts, and though it appears to be tiny, like Quinoa, small grains often triple in size when cooked.
I now keep stocked in my pantry, both millet grain, as well as millet flour, of which I make homemade breads and crackers with.
What To Serve With Millet Tabbouleh
The possibilities of Mediterranean dishes to serve with tabbouleh are endless.
I know, because I always serve this millet tabbouleh salad when I make Lamb Koftas, cooked on the grill in summer or roasted in the oven in winter.
It’s perfect to serve with Spanakopita Burgers, along with a dish of Tzatziki!
Mediterranean Tabbouleh Is Always On My Mediterranean Table
When having guests over, a mezze spread of small plates, with lots of Mediterranean dishes covering the table, and tabbouleh goes perfect with all of them.
While cold salads are always welcome on my table, so are a variety of hummus dishes, which compliment tabbouleh with their protein presence:
- Beet Hummus – chickpeas, tahini, sumac, ginger and garden fresh beets
- Pumpkin Hummus with chili oil – red lentils, pumpkin puree, tahini and the heat of chili oil
- Traditional Hummus – classic traditional homemade hummus
- All served with Homemade Pita Flatbread – easy recipe of the best homemade pita
Ingredients Needed
- Hulled millet
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Garlic
- Salt
- Fresh parsley
- Tomatoes
- Fresh mint or oregano
- Olive oil
Equipment Needed
- Mixing bowl
- Medium pot with a lid
- Strainer
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Citrus press
- Garlic press
- Stovetop or burner
Mediterranean Millet Tabbouleh Salad
Equipment
- Medium pot with lid
- Citrus press
Ingredients
- 1 cup Raw Millet
- 2 cups Cold water
- 2 Lemons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 English cucumber chopped uniformly as the tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Fresh mint finely chopped
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, place the millet and rinse several times, squeezing the millet to clean it. Drain off the water.
- To cook millet, place the cold water in a medium saucepan, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and crushed garlic, and bring to a boil. Bring to a low heat, add the millet to the salted water, cover and cook for 10-minutes. Turn off and allow the millet to absorb the liquids, and cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice, zest, olive oil and a pinch of salt (more can be added later to taste). Stir in the fresh veggies, flat leaf parsley and mint.
- Stir in a cup of the cooked millet at a time, allowing the mixture to blend. Transfer to a large serving bowl, garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley and serve.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.