Tabbouleh

Like hummus, pita, falafel, and baba ghanoush, tabbouleh is another Middle Eastern dish that has been embraced by westerners. Typical of places like Syria and Lebanon, it is usually made with cracked or bulghur wheat. Cous cous is often substituted. But the base is a grain that acts as a canvas for the vegetables and herbs added to it.

Originally served as a mezze, or the Arabic version of tapas, it is often used as a side dish accompanying the rest of a meal or as a main dish with an added side salad here in the U.S. Herbs like parsley and mint are frequently included as well as cucumbers and tomatoes. Adding chick peas and feta makes it a bit more of a meal than just a side dish. 

The vinaigrette is a lemon juice-olive oil mix. This is the kind of oil and acid combination that can be used on a host of different salads and offers a fantastic base for other dressings. Add a little Dijon, red pepper flakes, cumin, and chopped oregano and you’ve got yourself a nice marinade for just about anything.

In this recipe, I added the chick peas and the feta. I think the chick peas are a little more essential than the feta if you want this to be a heartier part of your meal. But if it’s just a side dish, you can leave both beans and cheese out.

Here’s the recipe:

1 c. bulghur wheat

1 1/2 c. boiling water

1/4 c. lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

3 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 c. minced scallions

1 c. mint leaves, chopped

1 c. parsley, chopped

1 c. cucumber, seeded and diced

2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c. canned chick peas, drained

1 tsp. black pepper

1 c. feta (optional)

Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir and let stand for 1 hour until room temperature.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, and the ground black pepper. Mix well. Can be served immediately or covered and refrigerated.