Total Time: 30 minutes Recipe By: Martha Rose Shulman
Serves: 6 as an appetizer spread, 4 as a salad
We think of tabbouleh as a bulgur salad with lots of parsley and mint. But real Lebanese tabbouleh is a lemony herb salad with a little bit of fine bulgur, an edible garden that you can scoop up with pita or eat as part of a platter of Greek, Turkish and Lebanese foods (think hummus, dolmas, falafel and all that good stuff!). This will keep for a day in the refrigerator, though the bright green color will fade because of the lemon juice.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fine bulgur wheat
- 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
- Juice of 2 large lemons to taste
- 3 cups chopped fresh parsley (from 2-3 large bunches)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ½ ripe tomatoes, very finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Pita and/or tasty Mediterranean platter foods to serve!
1. Place the bulgur in a bowl, and cover with water by ½ inch. Soak for 20 minutes, until slightly softened. Drain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer, and press the bulgur against the strainer to squeeze out excess water. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the garlic, lemon juice, parsley, mint, tomatoes, scallions and salt. Leave at room temperature or in the refrigerator for two to three hours, so that the bulgur can continue to absorb liquid and swell.
2. Add the olive oil, toss together, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with your favorite Greek, Turkish or Lebanese platter foods.