This post about Super Easy Greek Inspired Luncheon & Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad is sponsored by ALDI but all the opinions are 100% our own. I hosted an in-home event to expose my friends to ALDI and share some yummy lunch food.
Hosting a luncheon for girlfriends is a no-brainer since it’s so easy and usually has a pretty designated start and end time. The easiest way to take some of the stress off yourself is to create a theme for your lunch and then work off that to create your menu.
Greek food is one of my favorites and typically well-liked by others, and has many make-ahead recipes that make entertaining doable in the middle of the day. I created my lunch menu, made my grocery list and then headed to ALDI to get the ingredients I needed, all at great prices.
Lunch is also a more affordable meal (especially if you shop at ALDI!) to serve a group, which is reason number 1,000 to entertain at lunch time!
ALDI carries SimplyNature Organic Quinoa for $2.99 which is an amazing price. SimplyNature products are all organic or Non-GMO Project verified.
You also won’t find any added artificial ingredients or preservatives in products with the SimplyNature symbol.
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad Recipe
Tabbouleh is a traditional Greek dish, so why not mix things up by swapping the quinoa for the bulgar typically used? I was reassured of my dish choice as the back of the package contained a Quinoa Tabbouleh recipe too.
Also, quinoa is a superfood because it contains more protein than most grains. It has a nutty flavor that tastes wonderful with the cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, feta and mint, and it’s a great gluten-free alternative to traditional bulgur wheat.
Check out the other 5 Organic Items to Buy at ALDI.
Super Easy Greek Inspired Luncheon & Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
Can I make Tabbouleh Ahead of Time?
Another reason I picked this recipe for my Greek Inspired Luncheon is that you can make this salad ahead of time. It sits at room temperature nicely and is also portable for picnics or potlucks.
Just check out all the fresh flavors and herbs in the dish, simply healthy and flavorful. Can you believe I got all of this at ALDI and for such low prices?
What can I serve at a Greek inspired luncheon?
You can complement your Greek Lunch with a wonderful hummus platter filled with organic peppers, Kalamata olives and pita chips.
Simply lay this out and your friends can nosh on it while you chat or fill their dishes with lunch.
For the bar, we kept it super simple. I was amazed to find Sparkling French Lemonade and made green iced tea from ALDI as well. The prices are so reasonable I recommend buying extra to keep for yourself!
Even these flowers were only $4 at ALDI. What a fun in-home event exposing many friends to ALDI! I think I’ve now converted most of my friends to shop at ALDI and experience the difference!
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad Recipe for a crowd
Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad
A protein and vegetable filled Greek Salad that can be made ahead of time. IT actually even tasted better made a few days ahead.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Organic Quinoa
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts (5 scallions)
- 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, 2 bunches
- 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and medium-diced
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved through the stem
- 2 cups Feta Crumbles, 8 ounces
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa and 1 teaspoon of salt, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, until the grains are tender and open. Drain, place in a bowl and immediately add the lemon juice, olive oil and 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add the quinoa and mix well.
- If making ahead of time, stop here until the day you are serving.
- Carefully fold in the feta and taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.
Notes
Adapted from Ina Garten Make Ahead Meals
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 126Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 17mgSodium 255mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 4g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on stayingclosetohome.com should only be used as a general guideline.
What else would you add to this Super Easy Greek Inspired Luncheon?
I have never tried Quinoa. It looks weird to me so maybe that is why I am turned off by it. I’m sure if I didn’t know it was in the salad I’d eat it and love it.
Quinoa is a new item in my kitchen. I am on the hunt for recipes! I’m looking forward to trying this.
I am not sure what else I would do with this or for this Greek inspired salad. I love trying new things, often times I don’t go for Greek style food but this looks delicious!
I have really got to finally try Aldi. There is one right up the road from me, I hear good things about it all the time, yet I haven’t stepped in there. This lunch is so healthy! Love that you added quinoa.
This salad looks very delicious. I am saving this recipe for later, or maybe I can use it for today`s lunch 🙂
The salad looks amazing, I often make tabbouleh with quinoa, it is so much healthier. Pine nut hummus sounds amazing. It looks like a really tasty feast.
This looks so yummy! I love anything with quinoa, it’s so healthy and delicious!