Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Just because we’re in the middle of winter doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy some...

Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Just because we’re in the middle of winter doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy some summer flavors.

Today, we’re making zucchini rice!

Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Yes, you can rice zucchini! You may have already seen my zucchini orzo Greek salad or my goat cheese and bacon zucchini rice.

While zucchini can be riced, it’s crucial to pat it thoroughly dry or even squeeze the excess water out with your hands. Otherwise, the rice can become mushy.

Once your zucchini rice is ready, it’s ready to be used in a refreshing, tasty rice dish, like with this tabbouleh with chickpeas. This is a great side dish or a light lunch! It saves well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (afterwards, it gets too mushy.)

Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Try serving this with some blackened fish for a more filling meal, or stir in some shredded chicken.

On a totally separate note, Lu and I are planning a trip to Italy! We’re going to Lake Como, Tuscany and Capri. We’re so excited for the trip, but we’re having a tough time figuring out which area of Tuscany is the best to stay, so that you can easily travel throughout the countryside and visit wineries and all the sights.

So, for all of my readers who have been to Tuscany — do you have any recommendations? Places to stay? Towns to visit? Must-see wineries?

Thank you in advance!

Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Now you can watch a cooking video of this recipe:

If you still haven’t tried making spiralized rice, check out this video and learn how:

Nutritional Information & Recipe

Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 5 points

*These points were calculated using the official Weight Watchers SmartPoints calculator. We are in no way affiliated with Weight Watchers, we are providing this information based on popular demand.

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Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 medium zucchinis Blade D
  • 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
  • 3/4 cup diced tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup diced cucumbers
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup chickpeas drained and rinsed from a can
  • toasted pita bread to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • Place the zucchini noodles into a food processor and pulse until rice-like. Be careful not to over-pulse, as zucchini is moist and will become mushy. Pat dry thoroughly to absorb excess moisture and place in a large serving bowl and add in the parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumber. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the zucchini rice and then stir in the chickpeas. Serve with pita bread or as is.

Zucchini Rice Tabbouleh with Chickpeas

with love, Ali

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comments

  • Hi Ali, My husband and daughter are going to Italy this summer. We start in Venice, then Cinque Terre, then Sienna, Tuscany, then Sorrento, then Rome, then home. At first I was searching for a villa location near San Gimignano, but then I thought it would be nice to stay more central to drive to the other spots we want to visit. We have a car booked, so we booked nice place in Sienna (Hotel Duomo) which is walking distance to the square. This way we can drive to San Gimignano and Cortona. I decided it was more important to be in a place where we could walk in the evening rather than drive back along dark roads to a villa late at night. I don't know if this helps. Perhaps if we wanted to chill a few days just at the villa and then stay in Sienna for a few days and do the drive tours to other cities, that could work. We are only in Tuscany 3nights as we want to visit the other places I mentioned above. When are you going? Daniela
  • Siena is amazing!!! Was there in November and wish I could have stayed forever! It's beautiful and rich in culture and the food is to die for.
    • Sounds fantastic Christina! Tell me more. How long were you in Sienna and how was it walking at night down the narrow strips. Did you go to Cortona and San Gim. Daniela
  • Hi Ali! I studied abroad in Florence during my junior year, spring semester of college. All of Italy is absolutely amazing! You must spend some time in Florence, it is filled with history and there is so much to eat, learn, and do. Casali di Bibbiano is an amazing quaint winery in Tuscany that I still think dream about today. Perugia is also an amazing town in Umbria (region south of Tuscany), it is known for its chocolate! Capri and Positano were also two of my favorite towns that I was lucky enough to visit.
  • This looks amazing! I love making tabbouleh with quinoa or farro, but I'm all in for getting more veggies!
  • Hi Ali, My husband and I spent time in both Pienza and Montepulciano last summer. The two towns are only about 10 miles away from each other. Montepulciano is a beautiful small hilltop town that was very quiet and relaxing. There are families that have been there for hundreds of years and each year at the end of August they have a festival called the Bravìo delle Botti (barrel rolling race) that we just missed but sounded very exciting and fun! We said over and over again that we'd love to rent a home there and stay for a month! (As if we'd ever get that time off!) Pienza is known for it's production of pecorino cheese- you can smell it wafting out of the shops... AMAZING. Either way, be sure to try the Brunello di Montalcino, the wine that the area is most well known for :). Have fun!
  • Definitely trying this recipe...like tomorrow for lunch :) Have fun in Italy! Rome is my absolute favorite place on the planet and I'm dying to go back and visit the rest of that beautiful country. xo Annie www.laircake.com
  • This looks absolutely stunning! I'm a huge fan of tabbouleh, so I love that you managed to make it GF!
  • Ali, I love my machine and the recipes. I have been making sweet potato noodles with egg and spinach off and on for the last three weeks. We all love it. Excited to try this recipe. For Italy--I LOVE TUSCANY. Perhaps look into an apartment through Air Bnb in Florence. Last time we looked there were some affordable ones and then you are in a position where you can take trains and such to other places, or rent a car and explore, but as the capital of Tuscany there is tons to do in Florence. Here is a link to my blog--I think the link will take you to my posts about Italy. I was just in Florence this last summer. Siena though is my favorite city, but accommodations might be daunting. Better for a day trip or maybe an overnight trip. But Lucca, Pisa, ....all those little towns across Tuscany are fantastic. There are also farms you can visit (foodie heaven) and castle garden tours (I posted about a few of those). If I were going I would stay in Florence and use that as home base to explore. http://damommacheftravels.com/category/italy/
    • Great tips Jessica! Thanks.
  • I tried this and it turned out pretty well. I did have to change a couple of things: I can not have parsley, so I left it out. I don't do well with raw tomatoes, so I used drained petite diced in juice-after I decided it would be better with them. I minced some garlic cloves, added some onion powder, and also chopped up some canned artichoke bottoms. I did the rest of it as written. This was a trial run in case my company does actually come on Thursday. I think it'll do well as a side dish with roast chicken and pickled onions. I sent a picture to my brother and he said it looked nice, but too many vegetables. Sigh. He doesn't like cucumber, but I didn't know he had a limit on vegetables. I guess he does.
  • Loved Capri but it was soooo insanely crowded. We stayed in Sorrento which was quieter (ish). We rented a boat off of Capri and it was awesome to just drive around the island by ourselves. If you want to stop and swim, I recommend a charter as the water was really rough and it was hard to keep the boat in one spot.
  • We've made this twice now.......delicious. !
  • I made this and thought the parsley flavor was too over powering. Next time I think I'll leave it and the mint out, but add black olives. Otherwise, very good.
    • Definitely experiment with the flavors you like! We appreciate you giving it a try!