Tabbouleh
There is a very long story about my love of Tabbouleh and how this recipe came to be. One day, I may decide to recount this phase of my life in detail. But not just yet!
Tabbouleh keeps for a day refrigerated. It also makes an excellent snack rolled in a soft lettuce leaf with chopped chicken or turkey.
Tabbouleh
Serves 6 to 8
½ cup cracked wheat (bulgur)
½ cup boiling water
1 small red or yellow onion, finely minced
2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled, quartered, and finely chopped
4 cups fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (or more to taste)
Directions
Place wheat in a bowl large enough for the entire salad and cover with boiling water. Place a kitchen towel over the bowl and let sit for an hour. Uncover the bowl. If any water has not been absorbed, drain the wheat in a colander/strainer and squeeze it with your hands to remove excess liquid. You want the wheat plumped but not wet.
Add the minced onion to the wheat. Use your fingers to knead the onion into the wheat for a minute or more to release the onion juice into the grain. Keep working the wheat with your fingers as you squeeze in the lemon juice and add the salt and garlic.
Let this sit for 10 minutes before adding the tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and mint. Fluff with a fork, drizzle in the oil and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning, using additional salt, lemon, or olive oil. It is best to let this salad sit for at least 20 minutes so the flavors meld. Taste before serving and adjust again if needed.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
