Tabbouleh recipes come in all different forms. We love this one with its blending of Middle-Eastern cultural flavours: a blended and creamy tahini dressing enhanced with roasted garlic flavours and drizzled over an interesting ancient grain with fresh herbs. All totalled? Refreshingly chill as a main or a side dish.
Tips
- For a speedier dish, soak grains for a couple hours before cooking.
- If khorasan kernels are not available, substitute with wheat, rye, or spelt berries, or any type of gluten-free grain like buckwheat groats, millet, or quinoa.
Khorasan Tabbouleh Timbales with Roasted Garlic Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 head Russian garlic
- 1/3 cup (80 mL) tahini sauce
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) sea salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) smoked paprika
- 1 cup (250 mL) khorasan kernels
- 1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 English unpeeled cucumber, finely diced
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped parsley
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) pine nuts, toasted
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories295
- protein10g
- fat14g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates38g
- sugars5g
- fibre6g
- sodium126mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Slice top from garlic to expose cloves and place in small baking dish. Add a little water to dish. Cover tightly and bake in oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until cloves are soft. Remove and slightly cool. Pop roasted cloves out of skins and place in high-speed blender along with tahini, lemon juice, oil, salt, and smoked paprika. Whirl to blend, adding water to thin sauce to pouring consistency. You should have about 2/3 cup (160 mL). Taste and add more seasonings if you wish.
02
While garlic is roasting, cook khorasan kernels. In saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring 2 1/4 cups (560 mL) water to a boil. Stir in kernels. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook kernels for 40 to 50 minutes, or until cooked as soft as you like. Drain any excess water and spread kernels out on towel-lined baking sheet to separate, cool, and slightly dry.
03
Transfer cooled kernels to large bowl. Fold in mint, cucumber, cilantro, parsley, and green onions. If shaping into timbales, stir in a little tahini sauce. Pack into moulds and turn out onto serving plates. Drizzle with remaining creamy tahini sauce and sprinkle with pomegranate arils and pine nuts.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Supersalad with Sprouted Quinoa, Beans, and Roasted Veggies
A satisfying plant-based dinner or packed lunch, quinoa and beans add filling protein, while greens, cucumbers, roasted veggies, and a probiotic-rich dressing bring texture and flavour. Try it with a creamy plant-based cheese on top, or goat cheese for non-plant-based eaters. Mix and match Use this recipe as a guideline. Add in your go-tos such as chopped walnuts or hemp hearts, pitted sliced dates, roasted cauliflower, and crumbled feta (plant-based, if desired).
Curried Coconut Lentil and Rice Porridge
Brown rice and two varieties of lentils cook in one pot with broth, coconut milk, and simple spices. Nourishing spinach and sweet green peas bring this meal to life. It’s true sunshine in a bowl for those cold winter nights. Main grains White basmati rice, short-grain brown rice, quinoa, or millet can be used in place of the brown basmati rice. Try a mixture of grains for added nutrition and taste (e.g., millet and basmati rice, quinoa and millet, and so on).
Sheet-Pan Sprouted Tofu, Mushrooms, and Potstickers with Bok Choy
Sprouted tofu and mushrooms soak up a delicious tamari marinade before being baked along with prepared vegan potstickers and bok choy. A tasty sauce, sesame seeds, and a bed of whole grains to serve tie everything together. Adjust the heat level of this dish in the sauce or at the table so kids can partake. Salad swap Once cool, the tofu mixture can be served on a bed of crunchy romaine for a packable lunch that’ll spark office envy. Keep the sauce on the side and dress right before serving.
Berbere Spice-Braised Bean, Fennel, and Tomato Bowls
Canned beans are braised with cherry tomatoes, fennel, and health-boosting spices, making for a satisfying topping for whole grains, sprouted wheat pasta, or sourdough bread. A refreshing side of creamy cucumber salad makes this meal feel whole. This is a great excuse to experiment with a new-to-you spice. What is berbere? Berbere is a spice blend from Ethiopia that can include warming ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, along with fruity coriander and cardamom, black pepper, chili peppers, garlic, paprika, cumin, and fenugreek. Grocery stores now carry the spice blend, but it’s also readily available online.