300x600
Follow these steps to whip up a big batch of Tabouli ~ a healthy and delicious Middle Eastern bulgur wheat and vegetable salad. It's tasty as a salad, sandwich filling, or as a dip with crackers.
Are you ready for some football?!? Yes, I will be watching the Superbowl this weekend. Just quietly at home. But I'll definitely be watching. I'm hard-pressed to say which part I like best ... the game itself or all the new commercials. It's probably a tie in my book.
Now, I love all the creamy delicious dips and fabulous finger foods we typically think of as Superbowl fare just as much as the next guy (case in point - my hot corn dip, crescent sausage bites, or creamy BLT dip). But I thought I'd offer up an on-the-healthy-side "girly" option, too - tabouli.
I just absolutely adore tabouli. Huge crush.
Some of you may be saying, huh? What's tabouli (or, 'taboulleh' as it's also spelled)?
In a nutshell, it's a Middle Eastern salad traditionally made with bulgur wheat, fresh parsley, fresh mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil. Though, I eat mine more as a dip or spread than a salad. And oh, it's yummy.
but when soaked in boiling water, it fluffs up and becomes a tasty little grain.
To make a flavorful bowl of tabouli, after the bulgar wheat has soaked for a bit, you add in lots of fresh parsley, fresh mint, red onion, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice.
The recipe calls for 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, but I don't really measure. I just chop up about this much mint:
A little extra mint or parsley never hurts.
Stir this all together, and then refrigerate the mixture for about three hours. This lets all the flavors come together, and gives the bulgur wheat a nice little time to continue to soften.
After the three hours of chilling time, gently mix in diced cucumber and tomato. Then you're ready to serve it up as a salad or a dip for pita chips and crackers.
or, as one of my absolute favorite sandwiches - Hummus & Tabouli Pita Pockets. I just love, love, love the combination of hummus and tabouli. If you're a fan of either hummus or tabouli, you've got to try them together. Fantastic. I promise.
No matter what you choose to tickle your taste buds on the big game day, I wish you all a happy Superbowl Sunday! I think it's going to be a great game.
HOW TO MAKE TABOULI {OR TABBOULEH}
Follow these steps to whip up a big batch of Tabouli ~ a healthy and delicious Middle Eastern bulgur wheat and vegetable salad. It's tasty as a salad, sandwich filling, or as a dip with crackers.
PREP TIME: 30 MCOOK TIME: TOTAL TIME: 30 M
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 c. dry bulgur wheat
- 1 ½ c. boiling water
- 1 ½ tsp. salt
- 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (or fresh lime juice)
- 1 tsp. crushed fresh garlic
- 1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 c. chopped fresh mint (or about 1 tsp. dried mint)
- generous 1 c. chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 c. chopped cucumber
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine bulgur wheat, boiling water, and salt in a bowl. Cover and let stand about 20 minutes, until bulgur wheat is chewable.
- Add lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, black pepper, mint, parsley, and onion. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours to let the flavors meld and the bulgur wheat to continue to soften.
- Add tomatoes and cucumbers and mix gently. Taste; adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve as a salad, as a dip with pita chips or crackers, or in sandwiches.
TRACEY'S NOTES
- Tabouli is especially great as a sandwich with hummus in pita pockets. It's one of my favorites!
- Tabouli is also good with any of the following additions - 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas, 1/2 c. grated carrot, scallions, or a little feta cheese.
0 Comments