This paleo tabbouleh recipe is everything you want tabbouleh to be! It’s refreshing, where you just keep wanting more – bite after bite, and it’s a wonderful cool and flavorful pairing with anything off the grill, or as a stand alone salad for a picnic. Traditional tabouli has a little bulgur wheat in it, but I’ve simply replaced the bulgur grain with “riced” zucchini and protein-rich hemp seeds & pumpkin seeds. Add to that cucumber, parsley, fresh mint, olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt and you’ve got a nutrient dense salad that feels good to eat. I swear every time I eat this tabbouleh recipe I feel better inside and out, as all those alkaline nutrients get absorbed by my body. It’s 100*F here in little old Oregon today, and this low carb tabbouleh salad is on the menu, along with something grilled on the barbie.
A lot of paleo tabbouleh recipes use cauliflower “rice” as a replacement for the bulgur wheat, but I have to say I actually prefer this zucchini rice version better! For one thing, I think the zucchini tabbouleh leftovers taste much better the next day, compared to the version made with cauliflower. Also these days my tummy no likey cauliflower anymore, but thankfully it still loves zucchini!! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! It’s a great recipe to whip up for quick lunch or take to a potluck. Feel free to adjust the herbs to taste, and add in tomatoes if you’d like too.
Paleo Tabbouleh with Zucchini - low carb, aip
Ingredients
- 5 cups zucchini or use cauliflower
- 2 cups cucumber
- 1/2 cup red onion
- 1 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/2 cup cilantro or more parsley & mint
- 1/2 cup hemp seeds * or pumpkin seeds
- sea salt & black pepper* to taste
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or more lemon juice
- *For AIP omit seeds and black pepper
Instructions
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Chop zucchini into chunks then use a food processor (I use this handy tool for easy clean-up) to finely chop, just pulse a few times until finely chopped into "zucchini rice". Since I use the smaller immersion blender tool, I do the zucchini "rice" in a couple batches, as to not crowd the blades. Repeat with red onions, herbs, and pumpkin seeds if using those too. I chop cucumbers by hand into small pieces that a a little larger than the zucchini rice, for a variance in texture. Mix together in a large mixing bowl.
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In a small jar mix together olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar. Then toss with chopped veggies. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
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Serve.
Estimated Nutrition Information from myfitnesspal.com per serving, based on making 6 servings (with hemp seeds).
- Calories: 135
- Total Fat: 10 grams
- Total Carbs: 8 grams
- Sugars: 4 grams
- Protein: 6 grams
Shared at: Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable
Hey Andrea – very cool recipe, I like the idea of using zucchini instead of cauliflower!
Thanks Maria!! I find it so light and refreshing. ♥