Tabbouleh

I chose to use the spelling from the book The Mediterranean Diet, but I have also seen it spelled tabouleh or tabouli. I decided to try to concoct this after having the combination plate at Alexander's Great Falafel, which included a healthy pile of this delicious salad. The recipe from my cookbook is a Lebanese variant of the dish.

Bulgur is soaked in cold water for about a half hour, during which time I chopped the rest of the ingredients. Two bunches of flat-leaf parsley, fresh mint, green onions and Roma tomatoes. The bulgur grains, now plump and tender, are drained and placed in a kitchen towel to squeeze any extra moisture from them. The grain and the chopped herbs and vegetables are then combined in a bowl and mixed by hand, squeezing to get the flavors flowing. The juice of a lemon is squeezed over the ingredients. One-half cup olive oil is incorporated and salt and pepper to taste are added, completing the salad.

Remember, tabbouleh is supposed to be a parsley and mint salad with bulgur grains, not a bulgur salad with parsley and mint.

Bon appétit!