Last spring, Marc and I set out on a rainy night. We had a mission.
Sitting around a table after a long day of post-hurricane cleanup in Florida, the conversation naturally turned to food. When I mentioned my international cookbook in progress, one of the volunteers excitedly said, “I can teach you how to make traditional Mediterranean food!”
Which brings us to the rainy night. The rain was pouring and thunder was crashing. Nashville traffic slowed to a crawl. Yet, we were driving clear across the state of Tennessee for a cooking lesson.
When we finally arrived hours after our expected arrival time, the sun had long set. Our car crept timidly down a long rural driveway. Deer and rabbits fled from the beam of our headlights. Lightning illuminated a rustic farmhouse.
But oh, the feast that awaited us! Our Lebanese friend introduced us not only to tabbouleh but also to homemade hummus and stuffed grape leaves.
When we got home later that weekend, I stocked our herb garden with several kinds of parsley. We had tabbouleh with almost every meal for a week!
Here, we share this versatile salad with you.
Tabbouleh Salad Recipe
The Mediterranean diet has long been lauded for its health and weight loss benefits. Tabbouleh, sometimes spelled tabouli, is a salad of parsley and grain. Enjoy this salad with hummus and naan, with pizza or pasta, or on its own.
Servings: 6
Prep time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 Roma tomato
1 chive
1/2 cup bulgar wheat (or, substitute 1/4 cup quinoa)
1/2 water
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Tip: Bulgar wheat can be difficult to find. Check the organic section of your local grocery, where they sell Bob’s Red Mill products. Or, visit your nearest international market. If you still can’t find the product, you can buy it on Amazon or substitute quinoa – it’s not exactly the same but provides a similar texture.
Preparation
1. Thinly chop parsley, chive, and tomato.
2. Prepare 1/2 cup bulgar wheat according to package instructions, generally bringing 1 cup water to a boil and simmering for 7 minutes.
3. Toss chopped vegetables, cooled bulgar wheat, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
4. Enjoy!
Make it a meal – check out our other international recipes. This goes great on gyros made with our homemade naan bread!
One part Lois Lane, one part Jimmy Olsen, one part Johnboy Walton, and a bit of that Clark Kent secret identity thing thrown in for good measure.
Cara Siera is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for travel and exotic cuisine. Join Cara, her husband Marc, and one very spoiled German Shepherd on their next great adventure.