This recipe for a Mediterranean Tabouli salad (or Tabbouleh as it is sometimes spelled) is a great way to combine grains, vegetables and herbs into a satisfying healthy lunch. The basic recipe is simple and has few ingredients, but I have a couple of ideas for upgrading it - check out my variation suggestions below.
A word about the key ingredient here, for those of you who never tried it - Bulgur. Bulgur is a wheat grain that was cooked, dried and crushed. Since it is pre-cooked, you usually treat it like you would couscous - soaking it in boiled water rather than fully cooking it.
How to make
1 cup bulgur
1 cup boiling water
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
3 ripe red tomatoes - cut into small cubes
2 chives - chopped
4 sprigs of mint - chopped
4 sprigs of parsley - chopped
A dash of sweet paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
How to make
Wash the bulgur, place in a bowl, add boiling water and cover the bowl for 15 minutes. Strain and squeeze the burgul so there's no excess water left (if it's soaked for too long the burgul becomes pasty).
Let the bulgur cool down and place in a mixing bowl.
Add all other ingredients and mix well.
Tabouli Salad Recipe Variations:
- Add some crunch with one of these: walnuts, sunflower seeds
- Add some sweetness with one of these: pomegranate seeds, cranberries
- Add some edge with one of these: crushed garlic, chili flakes
- Go crazy, ditch the bulgur and use couscous or quinoa instead
To your health!