Tabouli Salad
Tabouli has several acceptable spellings, the most widely used is Tabbouleh. It is derived from the Arabic word tābil, meaning to dip, and it found its way to the US in the post WWII 1950s.
Tabouli is a salad made of bulgur wheat and parsley as its two principle ingredients, originating from the mountains of Syria and Lebanon in the 19th Century and has become popular throughout the Middle East. Lebanon claims it as a national dish but the salad is also wildly popular is Israel. Bulgur wheat is whole grain wheat made from parboiled cracked wheat.
The great debate amongst Tabouli enthusiasts is what ratio of bulgur to parsley. Syrian and Lebanese versions use more parsley than bulgur wheat, while Turkish and American versions use far more wheat than parsley.
The Kitchen Tapestry preference is for the American version; with a ratio of 2:1 bulgur wheat to fresh parsley, and only a modicum of fresh mint. Further, our preference is for Golden Bulgur, instead of Red Bulgur for its finer texture and milder flavor.
It is a refreshing and delicious accompaniment to grilled meats, and goes exceptionally well with the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Shish Kabobs with Romesco Sauce.
Tabouli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup bulgur wheat (like Bob's Red Mill Golden Bulgur)
- 4 cups chicken broth (like Swanson's)
- 1 cup fresh parsley, very finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped
- 3 green onions, finely chopped
- 3 firm Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 English cucumber, peel on, diced
- juice of one fresh lemon
- 1/2 tbsp plus 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 10-12 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Season the chicken broth with 1/2 tbsp of salt, then bring to a boil over high heat in a medium sauce pan.
- Pour the bulgur into the boiling broth. Turn off the heat and place the lid on the sauce pan. Allow it to sit undisturbed for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, drain the bulgur through a colander of any remaining liquid, and toss into a large mixing bowl. If necessary, squeeze any excess moisture from the wheat with paper towels.
- Allow the bulgur to sit and cool thoroughly for 30 minutes.
- Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.
- Place the parsley, mint, green onions and cucumber in a medium sized mixing bowl, and stir with a kitchen spoon to combine.
- Add the parsley mixture to the bulgur wheat and stir to combine.
- Add the Roma Tomatoes to the salad and gently fold into the mix so as to not masticate the tomatoes.
- Add the dressing and gently stir to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving.
