These vegan, gluten-free stuffed artichokes are filled with tabbouleh made with quinoa, parsley, mint, and cucumber tossed in a simple lemon vinaigrette.
The tabbouleh can be made and dressed the day before, or made while the artichokes cook. And these stuffed artichokes can be served warm or at room temperature.
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Stuffed artichokes are a great lunch, brunch or dinner side dish. And they're relatively easy to make.
You may see Italian stuffed artichokes made with breadcrumbs, which I've had in Rome (amazing!), artichokes stuffed with citrus-raisin couscous, and this one, stuffed with tabbouleh.
Another way to use artichokes is part of a sauce for a soufflé, like these double baked artichoke soufflés with cheese. They're totally decadent, and delicious.
There's a bit of prep on the artichokes, I won't lie. But the hardest part, scooping out the fibrous, fuzzy choke, is very easy if you wait until the artichokes are cooked.
More about that below.
👩⚕️ Are Artichokes Healthy?
A member of the thistle family, the artichoke plant has been grown for centuries for its potential nutritional benefits. Artichokes are low in fat, high in fiber, and boast 3.5 grams of protein when cooked. They are also a rich source of antioxidants.
If you're interested, hit this link for more nutritional information on artichokes.
But are artichokes keto-friendly. The surprising answer is yes. They're high in total carbs, 14.3 grams for a medium artichoke, cooked. But that's because of all the fiber. When you calculate the net carbs, that same artichoke has almost HALF the carbs at 7.5 grams.
🤷♀️ What is Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad that looks like a relish. It’s typically made with bulgur wheat grain, tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, and onion, and simply dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.
Variations abound using couscous in place of bulgur or adding other vegetables, but its trademark is copious amounts of mint and parsley.
I’ve made this salad with diced zucchini and tomatoes, and sometimes I toss in slivers of preserved lemon. In this version, I used quinoa in place of the bulgur for a gluten-free dish.
🧅 Artichoke Ingredients
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
I like to simmer my artichokes in water, wine and lemon juice to infuse the hearts with flavor.
- White wine - any dry white wine is fine.
- Lemon Juice
- Garlic
- Kosher salt
- Artichokes
🧅 Tabbouleh Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Red onion -white onion can be substituted
- Fresh mint
- Fresh parsley - Italian or curly
- Cooked quinoa
- Lemon juice
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Heavy bottomed pot
Sharp chef's knife
Kitchen scissors
Melon Baller Scoop
📝 Instructions
Step 1
Prep artichoke bottoms. Using a sharp chef's knife, slice off the bottom stems so that the artichokes can sit flat on a plate.
Step 2
Prep artichoke tops. Using a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife, slice off the top of the artichokes. You don't eat this part, and it makes it easier to get to the choke when it's time to scoop it out. Using kitchen scissors, snip off the thorny ends of the leaves to make them easier to handle.
Step 3
Cook the artichokes. Combine the water, wine, lemon juice, garlic, salt and artichokes in a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to accommodate the artichokes when covered. Simmer until leaves can be easily removed.
Step 4
Make the tabbouleh. While the artichokes cook, make the tabbouleh and dress it with the lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette - but hold back a little for a final drizzle.
Let it sit on the counter until the artichokes are ready to be stuffed.
Step 5
Stuff the artichokes. Cool the artichokes until cool enough to handle. Spread the leaves apart, and pull out a few of the center leaves.
Using a melon scooper, reach into the middle if the artichoke, and scoop out the center small leaves and choke. The choke is the fibrous, fuzzy part of the artichoke that sits on top of the edible base.
Only remove enough leaves to fill the cavity with stuffing. Gentle spread all of the remaining leaves to allow the tabbouleh to slip inside. Spoon the tabbouleh into the middle, and over the tops of the leaves. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
Hint: The artichokes, tabbouleh, and dressing can be made up to one day ahead and assembled just before serving. Make the dressing at least 30 minutes before serving to allow time for the flavors to marry.
If you like this idea, another stuffed artichoke recipe on this blog is one that's stuffed with Israeli couscous simmered with orange juice, raisins and dried apricots, and then tossed with pine nuts.
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Stuffed Artichokes with Quinoa Tabbouleh
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Kitchen scissors
- medium pot
- Vegetable peeler
- Whisk
Ingredients
Artichokes
- 4 cups water
- 1 ½ cups white wine
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large artichokes or 4 small - medium sized
Tabbouleh
- 1 cup finely diced cucumber
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh mint
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley Italian or curly
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Slice off the stems of the artichokes, so that the artichokes can sit flat on a plate.
- Using a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife, slice off the top of the artichokes. You don't eat this part, and it makes it easier to get to the choke when it's time to scoop it out. Using kitchen scissors, snip off the thorny ends of the leaves to make them easier to handle.
- Combine the water, wine, lemon, garlic, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot (see notes) set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Carefully place the artichokes into the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 45 minutes, until the leaves can be easily removed. Large artichokes may take as long as an hour.
- While the artichokes simmer, make the quinoa. Prep the cucumber, onion, mint and parsley, and toss with the cooked quinoa in a large bowl.
- Prep Tip: To prep the cucumbers, first peel them using a potato peeler, and slice in half lengthwise. Next, scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and finely chop. If you don't remove the seeds, the tabbouleh can be watery.
- Whisk the lemon juice, oil and salt in a small bowl and pour over the quinoa salad, holding back just a little for a final drizzle before serving. Toss to completely coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- When the artichokes are cool enough to handle, pull out the leaves in the center of each artichoke and discard. Spread out the baby center leaves to see the fibrous, hairy choke that sits on top of the edible base. Using a melon baller, carefully scoop out the choke and tiny leaves to form a bowl-like cavity.
- Prep Tip: When scooping out the choke, be careful not to scoop too deeply into the edible artichoke base.
- Gently spread out all the leaves to allow spaces between the rows. Spoon the tabbouleh into the center cavity, and over the top of the artichoke, allowing it to spill inside the leaves. Drizzle the remaining saved vinaigrette over the top.
- Serve at room temperature.
cheri
Hi Susan, Congratulations, love your guest post at the Weiser Kitchen. What a great story and recipe!
Rosemary Mark
I have never made or eaten stuffed artichokes. And you have two choices on your blog -- must try 🙂
Gorgeous photos!!
Jo from yummyvege
These look wonderful! A great way to use artichokes.
apuginthekitchen
i Love tabbouleh, never had it in an artichoke. Great idea, artichokes are something I love but rarely make, this is a great idea. Very creative!!
sylvie
A real work of art ! Looks gourmet dish !