Tabbouleh
This is a salad of texture and sharp, clean aromatics. Treat the parsley as the primary vegetable and the bulgur as a subtle binding agent that absorbs the lemon and olive oil dressing.
Dry greens are non-negotiable.
If the parsley is wet, the lemon juice will cause it to wilt instantly. Spin the herbs dry and lay them on a towel until they are bone-dry to the touch.
- Sharp chef's knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Salad spinner
What goes in.
- 3 bunchesflat-leaf parsley, washed and spun dry
- 1/2 cupfine-grade bulgur wheat
- 1 cupfresh mint leaves, packed
- 3firm Roma tomatoes, diced small
- 4scallions, whites and light greens, sliced thin
- 1/3 cupextra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cupfresh lemon juice
- 1 tspfine sea salt
Avoid the food processor.
A knife gives you clean edges. A processor tears the leaves, forcing the moisture out prematurely and turning the salad into a dark green sludge.
The method.
Hydrate the bulgur
Place the fine bulgur in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup of cold water. Let it soak for 20 minutes until tender, then drain it thoroughly through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing out excess water.
Prep the herbs
Pick the leaves off the parsley and mint stems. Gather them into a tight bunch and use a very sharp knife to slice them finely. Do not run the knife over the same pile repeatedly.
Combine
In a large bowl, toss the chopped herbs, tomatoes, scallions, and drained bulgur together.
Dress
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt together. Pour over the salad only right before serving to keep the parsley structure upright.
Other turns to take.
Winter Tabbouleh
Replace the fresh tomatoes with finely diced cucumber or radish for crunch when tomatoes are out of season.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Slice the tomatoes and let them sit in a sieve for 10 minutes to drain their excess juice before adding them to the bowl.
The ratio of herb-to-grain should be heavily in favor of the greens.
If you have time, let the salad sit for 15 minutes after dressing, but no longer, or the salt will draw too much liquid from the herbs.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use quinoa instead of bulgur?
You can, but the texture will be significantly firmer and lack the starchiness that helps the bulgur soak up the dressing.
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