Marry Me Orzo Is So Good.

The last time I made this, I think I ate half of the batch by myself.

Here’s what makes this so good, for me:

• The flavors of shallot, garlic, thyme. Mic drop.
• A tomato cream sauce.
• Little chewy, carby, textured bits that are delightfully all the same size – the orzo and the chickpeas just WANT to be together.

The way it clings together, the luscious creaminess, max flavor with the shallot, garlic, and fresh thyme. UGH.

We use DeLallo products all over the place in this kitchen – I always love their orzo (and my friend swears by their GF orzo) and their Castelvetrano olive oil in the squeeze bottle. But for this recipe I also really love all their little jarred tomato products as an add-in – the sun-dried tomatoes if you want to keep it classic to the Marry Me flavor profile, but also the fresh tomato bruschetta (personal fave), the calabrian chiles for something different, or the roasted tomatoes for a chunkier option.

Guys, a bonus that deserves mention: this comes together in practically 20 minutes. Maybe 30, tops. It’s easy, minimal cutting board activity, but still plenty of veg and protein in there. This girl is a teeny bit fancy but she’s also weeknight-ready.

Hope you love it.

(If you want an option with another protein – like chicken – the original Marry Me Chicken is here for you!)

Tabbouleh fans, have you tried making it with quinoa? This recipe is a fun variation on classic tabbouleh made with quinoa instead of bulgur wheat. It turns our favorite Lebanese salad into a gluten-free dish. The quinoa is fluffy and has a somewhat nutty taste, but overall, the flavor profile is quite similar.

Since I already changed one primary ingredient, I took the liberty of adding some chickpeas and feta cheese, more ingredients that you would not expect to find in tabbouleh. They’re entirely optional and absolutely delicious. They make the salad more hearty; if you use both, it could qualify as a light meal on its own.

This herbaceous salad is so refreshing on a warm day. It features fresh parsley and mint, tomato and cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and quinoa. The proportions remain true to the traditional recipe, so it contains more parsley than quinoa, and the lemon packs a punch. I think you’ll love it.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

This quinoa recipe incorporates all the techniques I learned while developing my Best Tabbouleh Recipe, which really is the best!

1) Cook your quinoa according to the recipe below.

I swear by my go-to quinoa cooking method, which differs from the directions you’ll find on the package. It yields perfectly fluffy quinoa every time.

2) Salt your tomato and cucumber, then drain them.

This method concentrates the flavors of the tomato and cucumber, and ensures that your salad doesn’t become diluted by excess liquid. Combine the tomato and cucumber in a bowl with some salt, and set it aside while you chop the parsley. Drain off the excess juice before stirring the salad together. Easy enough!

3) Use plenty of parsley and chop it finely.

This recipe calls for three bunches of curly parsley. It’s much easier to chop that much parsley in your food processor, rather than by hand. Don’t worry about removing the thin parsley stems—they offer great flavor.

4) Season liberally with lemon juice and salt.

Tabbouleh should be zingy and full of flavor. To get there, be sure to use enough lemon juice and salt. You’ll find my recommended quantities in the recipe below.

Watch How to Make Quinoa Tabouli

Quinoa Tabbouleh Serving Suggestions

All of these options are gluten-free, like this one:

Please let me know how your recipe turns out in the comments. I always love hearing from you.

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Note: If your mozzarella seems wet or comes in water, drain it on paper towels for a while before grating it so the final dish doesn’t become too watery. Gluten-free: This dish is (of course) only gluten-free if you exclude the garlic bread, or make garlic bread with gf bread.