Tabbouleh

Serves 4

I first tried this dish when I was living in London. My South African friend Philip decided to introduce this little Italian girl to Lebanese food and I was hooked. You’d think that there wouldn’t be many differences in our food given that we border the same Mediterranean Sea. There is nothing like Tabbouleh in Italy, at least not where I’m from, unfortunately for me. It took until I was in my mid-twenties to add this dish to my repertoire. This salad is great for any summer buffet and can be easily made GF using cooked quinoa instead of the traditional bulgur. This recipe is adapted from the Gourmet cookbook.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fine bulgur or quinoa
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped  fresh flat-leaf parsley (leaves, not stems)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Stir together bulgur and 1 tablespoon oil in a heat-proof bowl.
Pour 1 cup boiling water over bulgur, then cover bowl tightly with a well-sealing lid and let stand for 15 minutes or cook the quinoa until tender.
Drain grain in a sieve, pressing on it to remove excess liquid.
Transfer grain to a bowl and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining ingredients until well combined.
Adjust taste with salt and pepper.