Tabbouleh is a great salad for using up extra parsley, but for keto, you need a low carb alternative to the usual bulgar wheat. Hemp hearts are an easy swap that requires less prep than bulgar wheat. In this recipe, I went outside the traditional by swapping the cucumber for celery, and using a zatar spice blend for flavour. I'm quite happy with how this turned out and it makes an easy side salad for any night when middle eastern food is on the table.
Keto Celery Zatar Hemp Heart Tabbouleh Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup hemp hearts
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground sumac
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1½ cups celery with leaves, chopped
- 1 cup tomato, diced with seeds/fluid removed
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- Flaky sea salt (like Maldon or Fleur de sel, and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped (*optional)
Directions:
Add hemp hearts to a large mixing bowl. Stir in zest and juice of one lemon (you might add more later) and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add in chopped parsley, green onion, and celery and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste, but go easy on it at this point. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Remove from fridge and give it a stir then taste it. If you feel it needs it, at this point adjust the rest of the liquids, spices and seasoning to your taste. Serve as a side with your favourite middle eastern foods, like shawarma, kofta, or falafels.
Did you make this keto celery zatar hemp heart tabbouleh recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out in the comments. Or if you share pics of your creations on Instagram, please tag me so I can see them. Enjoy! :)
