Oatmeal Tabbouleh

By Martha Rose Shulman

Published September 11, 2012

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(69)
Comments
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This is a good tabbouleh alternative for those of you who can’t tolerate wheat, though you must seek out a brand of steel-cut oats that has been processed in a gluten-free facility if you need to avoid gluten. Unlike traditional tabbouleh, which is a really a parsley salad with a little bit of fine bulgur, this is more of a lemony grain salad with a generous amount of parsley and other herbs. For best results, toss the soaked oats with the dressing and refrigerate overnight.

Featured in: Steel-Cut Oats, Sweet and Savory

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½ cup quick-cooking steel-cut oats

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 cup boiling water

  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (to taste)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

  • 2 to 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (omit if not in season)

  • 1 cucumber, 2 Persian cucumbers, or ½ European cucumber, seeded if necessary and cut in small dice

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

12 grams carbs; 182 calories; 10 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 456 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the steel-cut oats and salt to taste in a bowl and pour on 1 cup of boiling water. Let sit for 25 to 30 minutes. Drain through a strainer and press the oats against the strainer with the back of your spoon to extract water. Transfer to a bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Combine the lemon juice, salt to taste, cumin and olive oil and whisk together. Toss with the oats and let sit for at least 20 minutes or, preferably, cover and refrigerate overnight.

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining ingredients, toss together and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes or longer (in the refrigerator if longer than 15 minutes) before serving.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: This will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. The bright green color of the herbs will fade, however.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
69 user ratings
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Comments

Louanne

I make a big batch of steel cut oats on Sunday, and use them throughout the week for breakfast, lunch or dinner, so I didn't use the instant version of oats. Other than using traditional steel cut oats and adding Kalamata olives, mini bell peppers, and scallions, I followed the recipe. If you've been hesitant to use oats in savory recipes, this is a great introduction.

Angeliki Tsioli

The drained water of the oats was thick, like a jelly and tasty. Any ideas how to use it instead of wasting it? Maybe use it as an ingredient for a salad dressing?

N London

Or you could just substitute quinoa for the wheat.

Ellen

Quick cooking Steel Cut Oats+ Boiling water =Mush ...what a mess .Maybe regular stell cut oats ?

Sue

The oatmeal was the problem—so mushy. Next time, I made about the same thing (recipe from Lundberg rice) with short grain rice instead, turned out very well.

Colleen

this was a gloppy mess! even though I pressed it in the strainer as described. yuck.

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