Tabbouleh (bulgur wheat and parsley salad)
We’re approaching longest day territory here in the UK right now. The maximum hours of daylight in the year reaches 16 hours and 41 minutes in a matter of a few (long) days, meaning our evenings stretch gloriously out in front of us throughout the summer months (the depths of winter, where we barely get eight hours of light, is another matter). Us Brits love an excuse to get everyone together when the weather’s nice to sit in the garden and eat good food. This tabbouleh makes the perfect addition to a summer BBQ, picnic or any other occasion where you want something fresh and delicious on the side.
Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern dish comprised predominantly of bulgur wheat and parsley (the jury’s out as to which you should have more of!), with the juicy addition of various vegetables and a good splash of lemon juice. Like most things, there are many variations of the recipe, both down to the proportion of ingredients and the ingredients themselves. I don’t claim for this to be a truly “authentic” version of the dish, but it works for me and still keeps hold of the spirit of the original.
To make the tabbouleh, you essentially need to do a fair bit of prep but zero cooking. The bulgur wheat is simply soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes, during which time the rest of the prep can be undertaken. Red onion, cucumber and deseeded tomatoes are chopped into small chunks and mixed with ruby red pomegranate seeds (don’t feel guilty about buying a ready prepared pot of seeds if you like). What feels like an inordinate amount of parsley and mint is then chopped very finely and added to the vegetables, along with the drained bulgur wheat. Prior to serving, mix in the lemon juice, oil, salt and sumac - you can find the latter in most supermarkets with the rest of the spices and it adds an excellent savoury zing to the whole thing.
As is, the tabbouleh is vegan, however if you want to give it a bit more heft you can chop a block of halloumi into small cubes and toss it in too. I don’t bother frying or grilling the halloumi first, but you can if you like. Any leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for a day or two, just make sure to give it all a good mix through as the dressing will settle. I often have to keep myself from eating it out of the container by the spoonful when I make it, so I’m sure it won’t last too long for you too!
Tabbouleh (bulgur wheat and parsley salad)
Serves: 4 to 6 as a side | Total time: 35 mins including soaking | Source: vickicooksveggie
Ingredients
50g (2oz) bulgur wheat
½ red onion
½ English cucumber (about 15cm/6in of cucumber)
200g (7oz) tomatoes, not small ones
¼ pomegranate, or around 80g (3oz) pomegranate seeds
30g (1oz) parsley
15g (½ oz) mint
1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sumac
½ - 1 tsp fine sea salt, to taste
225g (8oz) halloumi (optional)
Method
Add 50g bulgur wheat to a bowl (it doesn’t look like much but don’t be tempted to add more) and pour over 200ml (just under 1 cup) boiling water. Cover the bowl and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop half a red onion and half a cucumber into small cubes, then de-seed your tomatoes and chop the flesh into similar chunks to the onion and cucumber. Add the vegetables along with the 80g pomegranate seeds to a large bowl.
Remove the stems from 15g of mint, then finely chop the mint leaves along with 30g of parsley (you can leave the stalks in). Add the herbs to the same bowl as the vegetables.
Juice the lemon and set it to one side.
Once the bulgur wheat has finished soaking, drain away any excess water and add to large bowl. Pour in the lemon juice, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp sumac and ½ - 1 tsp fine sea salt and mix everything together until combined.
Optional: chop a 225g block of halloumi into small cubes and stir it in at the end.
Enjoy as a refreshing side or on its own as a light lunch.