*Tabbouleh is one of the most popular salads in the Middle East. It is often served family-style in a little bowl along with many other appetizer-type dishes (humus, falafel, baba ghanoush). My strategy for eating Mediterranean mezze is to just pile my pita with everything that looks tasty. The only hard to find ingredient in this dish may be bulgur. Bulgur is a form of whole wheat. It is a quick-cooking, low-cal grain that is high in fiber and protein. Look in the Middle Eastern section of your local grocery store or it can sometimes be found in the aisle with oatmeal, quinoa, and other specialty grains.
Ingredients
¾ cup bulgur, fine grain
2 cups cold water
5 scallions, finely chopped
4 cups flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
1) Place bulgur in a bowl and cover it with cold water. Let bulgur soak for 15 minutes. When finished, drain bulgur very well. Spread bulgur on a kitchen towel to further the drying.
2) While bulgur is drying, peel the tomatoes as follows. Put tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for ten seconds in the water and then drain. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and then dice.
3) Mix bulgur with scallions, parsley, mint, and diced tomatoes.
4) Stir the olive oil with lemon juice. Add salt and pepper.
5) Toss salad mixture with dressing.
6) Cover and chill for at least one hour.
*Recipe by Shelley Neese, vice president of The Jerusalem Connection. Click here for her articles and videos.