Tabbouleh is a very popular Lebanese salad, so much so that the first Saturday of July is known as National Tabbouleh day.
Although there are variations, classical tabbouleh is bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, mint and onion with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. The word Tabbouleh comes from the Arabic, meaning seasoning or dip.
Bulgur, the primary ingredient, is a cereal food made from whole grains of different wheat species and is said to be as healthy or healthier than quinoa and rice.
My Favorite Tabbouleh
4 servings
This version is one I created.
- 1 cup steamed and drained fresh broccoli
- 7 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon chicken soup powder
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup bulgur
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 5 teaspoons oil
- 4 teaspoons cider vinegar
- chopped radishes
- chopped celery
- chopped green onions
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped red pepper
1. In a saucepan, combine water, soup powder, wine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic and bring to a boil. Add bulgur, cover and let set 15 minutes.
2. Place broccoli in a salad bowl. Add bulgur mixture, oil, cider vinegar, radishes, celery, onions, tomatoes and red peppers and toss lightly.
Tabbouleh With Marinated Artichokes and Baby Spinach
4 servings
This recipe came from the Food & Wine online recipes and said it was from Deborah Knight, an Australian columnist and TV moderator.
- 4 large artichokes, steamed with leaves removed, bottoms quartered and stems cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- ½ teaspoon toasted and ground to a powder cumin seeds (optional)
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup coarse bulgur
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 finely chopped scallions
- ½ cup coarsely chopped curly leaf parsley
- 1 finely diced plum tomato
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10 halved cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups packed baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1. Place artichoke bottoms and stems in a bowl. Add olive oil, sherry vinegar, oregano salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur. Cover and let stand 40 minutes until bulgur is tender.
2. Fluff with a fork. Stir in olive oil, lemon juice, scallions, parsley, plum tomato and mint. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.
3. In a bowl, toss cherry tomatoes with spinach, feta and pine nuts. Spoon 2 T. of artichoke marinade over salad and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spoon tabbouleh onto plates and surround with artichokes. Top with spinach salad and serve.
Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist, author and compiler/editor of 9 kosher cookbooks. She is a food writer for North American Jewish publications, and she leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.
