Tabbouleh

There are so many versions of the Middle Eastern salad Tabbouleh.  Tabbouleh is also known as Cracked Wheat or Bulgar Wheat Salad.  I see it so often served at veggie cafes and buffets, that I don’t care to make it much.  But today the sun is shining, its scorching in fact that I wanted to make a lazy light salad. 

Its important to note that the star of a Tabbouleh is the fresh parsley, not the cracked wheat.  And don't go thinking of using curly parsley.  As far as I am concerned, curly parsley is only good for garnish.  For tabbouleh it has to be flat leaf parsley.  I like to use my motion rocking mezzaluna to finely chop the parsley.  Oh if you wanted to make it more than a light salad, then consider adding some cooked chickpeas to it and serving it with a garlicky yogurt. 

One of my favourite food writers and cooking inspirations, Nadine Abensur writes in her cookbook Cranks Fast Food that 'if authenticity is what your after, use small young lettuce leaves to scoop it up and eat with' . Well although I am growing some salad leaves, even baby gem, I don’t have any to hand at the moment to enjoy in this manner, so it has to be served with plain tortilla chips this time. Sorry.

For those of you still picking wild garlic, here's a link to a Wild Garlic Tabbouleh recipe that I made last year.  Otherwise, just follow the link and check out the tash man singing of his love for taboulleh or is it tabouli.

I am sharing this recipe with Simona of Briciole. She has the honour of hosting this week's Weekend Herb Blogging #335. This food blogging event now in its 6th year was started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and is now co-ordinated by Haalo of Cook (almost)Anything Once. 
My Tabbouleh
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
100g medium coarse bulgar wheat
1 large bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley, about 100g 120g including the fine stalks
Optional: 1 bunch of fresh mint or coriander, about 20g
6 spring onions, finely sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
3 – 4 ripe tomatoes, chopped into cubes
½ English cucumber, cut into small cubes
Juice from 1 large lemon, about 4 tablespoons
4 tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil
Method
Place the bulgar wheat in a bowl and pour hot water over it.  Leave it for 30 minutes or so to absorb the water.
Wash the parsley and the min, and chop it very finely.  Once the bulgar wheat is soft, drain and press out any excess water.  Return to the bowl and ad the spring onions, salt and pepper to taste. 

Then combine all the other ingredients, adding the lemon juice and olive oil last.  Taste and tweak seasoning if necessary.  Serve at room temperature.