Brown Rice Tabbouleh
This Brown Rice Tabbouleh recipe is a fresh take on the traditional salad, swapping bulgur for nutty brown rice to make it gluten free. Packed with parsley, cucumber, tomato, and fresh lemon, it's light yet satisfying. I love it as a side with grilled meats or falafel, but it's also a brilliant lunch in it's own right. Refreshing, vibrant, and full of texture, it's a wholesome salad that proves gluten free food can still taste amazing.
Ingredients
- 200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/2 tsp table salt (see notes)
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 1 continental cucumber, diced
- 75g cooked brown rice, finely chopped
- 1 bunch (50g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt flakes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Toss the diced tomatoes with the table salt and transfer to a sieve. Allow them to drain for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally, and discard any juices.
- In a large salad bowl, combine the drained tomato, onion, cucumber, parsley, and cooked brown rice.
- Toss through the olive oil and lemon juice, season with sea salt flakes to taste, and serve with warm pide and hummus.
Notes
- Salting and draining the tomatoes draws out excess liquid, keeping the salad fresh instead of soggy.
- Make sure the brown rice is well cooked and cooled before adding – chopping it finely helps mimic the texture of traditional bulgur.
- This salad keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days, making it great for meal prep.
What I Cook With
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 90Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 884mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Want to know when I share a new recipe? Subscribe today!
More Healthy Salad Recipes
Brown Rice Tabbouleh
Oh Look, Another Salad…
Today I’m finally sharing my brown rice tabbouleh recipe – it’s gluten free, super fresh, and honestly a bit less fussy than my quinoa tabbouleh. Tabbouleh has always been my favourite salad, and it takes me straight back to my childhood every time I make it. When I found out I was celiac, brown rice was the first substitute I reached for to replace bulghur wheat. It just works. I buy the pre-cooked packets from the supermarket (because effort is overrated) and then give it a rough chop with my mezzaluna. You’d never know it wasn’t traditional. Brown rice tabbouleh has become a go-to in my kitchen, especially when I want something nourishing but easy and can’t be bothered with Quinoa.
I’d love to say the delay in sharing this brown rice tabbouleh recipe was intentional, but nope. I cooked a stack of recipes back in August (this one included which was served with my Persian Yoghurt Chicken), intending to post regularly. But then some didn’t get photographed, and others just sat on my laptop untouched. Add to that the fact that my groceries have been hit and miss – I don’t drive, so I rely on deliveries – and you can see how everything just slipped away a bit. One week, the delivery team forgot an entire bag, and of course, it was the one with all the vegetables I needed for a goat goulash. I’ve also been grappling with the weather – it swings from sunny to freezing without warning. And living alone means I can’t just make a massive salad and hope someone else eats the leftovers. Brown rice tabbouleh deserves to be enjoyed fresh, not limp and sad from the fridge.
Things went further downhill when the plumbers installed a new hot water system that blocks half my kitchen window. My happy little space now feels like a cave, and because I rent, I can’t do a thing about it. I’d just finished restyling the kitchen into a cute, joyful haven, and now it’s grey and gloomy. Still, the silver lining is that I’ve been putting effort into eating better. Brown rice tabbouleh has been on heavy rotation as part of that. I’ve given up wine, sorted out my weekday meals, and I’m working out daily. Basically, I’m in my glow-up phase.
Why Brown Rice Tabbouleh is a whole vibe
I love this brown rice tabbouleh recipe because it doesn’t demand precision. It’s hearty enough for a meal, fresh enough for a side, and easy enough to throw together between Teams-calls. The brown rice gives it a lovely nutty chew that holds up well, even if I forget it in the fridge for a day or two. I can bulk it up with protein, throw in a few extra veggies, or keep it classic. Thankfully, the lemon juice and herbs do all the heavy lifting.
Because the brown rice is pre-cooked, brown rice tabbouleh comes together in minutes. And using my mezzaluna to roughly chop everything gives it that slightly rustic feel. Not too perfect, not too fussy. Just right. I also find that it keeps me feeling satisfied without weighing me down, which is the vibe I want lately. No more heavy lunches that make me want to nap at my desk. This salad wakes me up.
And it travels well. Brown rice tabbouleh is one of those dishes I can make the night before and not worry about. It actually gets better after sitting in the fridge, the flavours soaking into the rice. I just give it a little fluff and maybe add an extra squeeze of lemon if it needs it. It’s been a lunch saviour more times than I can count.
This Month Has Been A Lot
I think brown rice tabbouleh has become a bit of a comfort food for me. Not in a warm and creamy kind of way, but in a nourishing, grounding way. This past month has been a lot both emotionally and practically. Between work, the weather, and house things going wrong, I’ve been feeling a bit frayed at the edges. Eating something fresh and healthy that I made myself helps more than I expected.
It’s also been a month of shedding. Not just the goat goulash dreams that never came to be (yet), but people too. There’s been a quiet clarity settling in. I realised I don’t want to spend time with people who leave me feeling small or exhausted. It’s not about conflict, just a gentle stepping away. I’m being more deliberate with who and what I make space for. And brown rice tabbouleh has weirdly become part of that little ritual of choosing better.
Choosing to make something that tastes like sunshine, even when it’s grey outside, feels like a small act of rebellion. A way of saying I’m still showing up for myself, even when things aren’t going to plan. I might not be able to control the plumbing, or the weather, or missing grocery bags – but I can make brown rice tabbouleh, and that counts for something.
Ingredients Breakdown
Parsley is the star of brown rice tabbouleh obviously, and I always go for continental parsley because curly parsley is… just not it. It’s bright, bold, and gives the salad that classic tabbouleh vibe. And you want loads of it – this isn’t a parsley garnish situation, it’s the heart of the dish. Then I throw in cucumber for a bit of crunch and freshness. It makes everything feel lighter, cooler, more summery.
Cherry tomatoes add that sweet pop of juiciness. I love them for the colour and the way they balance the herbs and rice. Red onion brings a little bit of bite. I keep it finely chopped so it doesn’t overwhelm the dish, but it does add that savoury edge that keeps the salad from being too soft. A generous splash of lemon juice lifts the whole thing, giving it zing and brightness.
The brown rice brings it all together. It’s sturdy, nutty, and filling in the best way. I always finish it with a glug of extra virgin olive oil, and I never forget the sea salt. It brings everything to life, especially the herbs. Brown rice tabbouleh is simple, but every ingredient has a job to do – and when they’re all good, the whole thing just sings.
