Cookbook:Tabbouleh III

| Mediterranean | Middle Eastern cuisines

Ingredients

 * ½ cup bulghur wheat (fine grind is best, medium grind acceptable)
 * 2 bunches parsley (flat leaf or curly Italian)
 * 1 bunch green onion
 * At least 2 cups chopped tomatoes
 * 5–6 stalks fresh mint
 * 2–3 lemons, or to taste
 * Olive oil
 * Salt
 * Cucumbers (optional)
 * Romaine lettuce leaves (garnish and scoopers, optional)
 * Fresh grape leaves (optional)

Procedure

 * 1) Soak the bulghur wheat in at least three times its volume of cold water. Fine grind only needs a half hour of soaking. Medium grind needs longer. Bulghur wheat has already been parboiled before cracking or grinding, so it doesn’t need further cooking to be edible in tabbouli.
 * 2) Drain bulghur.
 * 3) Chop the parsley leaves, green onions, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers.
 * 4) Chop the parsley quite fine, using a knife, not food processor.
 * 5) Mix veggies and bulghur together. Douse with strained lemon juice. If you are not ready to serve immediately, then cover and hold in a cool place. Do NOT add salt and olive oil until immediately before serving.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * You may garnish with more diced tomatoes and/or diced cucumber, and insert lettuce or fresh grape leaves around the sides of the bowl. Use green leaves to scoop up the salad, popping leaf and salad into mouth.