Not too long ago, I heard a knock at the door. Upon opening it up, I was greeted by my neighbour and one GIGANTIC bunch of parsley. As she put it, her garden was growing a "plethora of parsley" and she wondered if I could use some. Use some? Why yes, who would say no to a gorgeous home-grown herb bouquet!
Before my neighbour had even left, I was already envisioning what the bouquet would become...tabbouleh salad, a favourite of mine since travelling through the middle east was at the top of that kurated parsley list. In fact, it was this very parsley that inspired not only this salad, but the entire mediterranean themed menu for Father's Day.
I don't know about you, but when I travel, I tend to choose one or two local dishes and try them at different restaurants all over the country or regions I'm visiting. As I travelled through the Middle East, tabbouleh salad and hummus were two dishes, that I ate more than my fair share of. All for the sake of food research, of course! It is always amazing how different one dish can be from city to city or village to village.
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese salad traditionally made of only a few ingredients that are usually fresh and mostly grown or produced locally - parsley, mint, tomatoes, bulgur, lemon juice, olive oil and salt.
Throughout Israel, Lebanon and most of Jordan, tabbouleh is more like an herb salad. Parsley is the dominant ingredient and there is very little, to no bulgur. At home, in North America, we are accustomed to double or triple the amount of bulgur in tabbouleh salads. I was also surprised at the variety of contrasting tabbouleh flavour profiles I tasted while travelling, with spices ranging from cinnamon all the way to cayenne!
Another difference I noticed in the tabbouleh I feasted on in the Middle East, was how it is served. Tabbouleh in Lebanon and other nearby regions is served with an accompaniment of fresh romaine lettuce spears, to scoop up the herb-forward salad.
Whether you choose to eat this salad with romaine spears, pita or as a side dish, you can't go wrong.
For my Father's Day menu, I have chosen to serve the tabbouleh as a side, but have included both grilled pita and romaine spears for snacking. I combined the tabbouleh and hummus on a mezze platter with brined olive and feta.
Enjoy!
Krista
My Favourite Tabbouleh (a Lebanese & North American mix)
Ingredients
*3 cups finely chopped curly parsley (washed several times to remove dirt from garden)
2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
3/4 cup cooked bulgur wheat
3 persian cucumbers (the small ones), quartered and chopped finely, skin on
1 1/4 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 1 medium tomato diced)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked ground pepper
*a pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Method
Over a medium-heat stove bring one 3/4 cup of rinsed tabbouleh and 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Reduce temperature to simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes or until all water absorbs.
While bulgur is cooking, add chopped parsley, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes and green onions to a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and pinch of cinnamon, if using. Whisk to emulsify the dressing. Taste to adjust seasoning as desired.
Add the cooked bulgur to the parsley mixture and pour dressing over the top. Mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
*Recipe Notes:
I tend to prefer curly parsley in a tabbouleh salad. I find it gives it a more herbaceous flavour than Italian or Flat Leaf Parsley. Either can be used though, it is your preference.
I used parsley from the garden, however if you were buying it 2-3 bunches, depending on size, should give you 3 cups finely chopped.
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