Published:
August 30, 2019
Known for its Middle Eastern origin, Tabbouleh, also known as Tabouli, has recently gained popularity in Western culture.
Tabbouleh is a healthy, vegetarian food that has no cholesterol, is low in fat, and high in fiber, vitamins, and much more. Plus, it makes great use of the backyard gardener’s abundance of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. This vegan dish can be made gluten-free by substituting quinoa for bulgur wheat.
This is a great make-ahead salad that tastes better the day after it is made. It can serve as a side dish to a protein, as a complete lunch, or as a sandwich in a lettuce leaf or pita bread. So, slice and dice away.
Preparation time: 40-45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
(Double recipe as needed)
- ½ cup bulgur wheat (1 cup of cooked quinoa can be substituted)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (1 cup) finely chopped
- ¼ to ½ cup mint leaves, finely chopped, optional
- 2-3 small tomatoes or Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cucumber, seeded and diced into ½-inch pieces
- 4 scallions, finely sliced, or ½ cup red or white onion, finely chopped
- 6 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)
- 2 Tablespoons good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place bulgur wheat in small bowl. Bring 1 cup water to boil and pour over bulgur wheat. Stir and soak for 30 minutes until water is absorbed. Do not drain.
- While waiting for the bulgur to absorb water, prepare the vegetables and herbs.
- To make the dressing, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt in small bowl.
- Toss the bulgur wheat, vegetables and herbs together. Stir in the dressing. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Keeps for several days in refrigerator.
Makes 7, ½ cup servings.
Note: Tomatoes and cucumbers are seeded to prevent the salad from getting too juicy. To seed, cut vegetables in half than scoop out the pulp with a spoon. If salad seems too juicy after being kept in the refrigerator, drain off some of the liquid before serving.
Nutritional Information:
Per ½ cup serving: 117.5 calories; 4.4g total fat (0.6g saturated, 0.5g polyunsaturated, 2.9g monounsaturated); 34.1mg sodium; 0.0mg cholesterol; 18.7g carbohydrate; 4.2g fiber; 2.0g sugars; 3.1g protein; 192.3mg potassium.