Tabouleh

So today, we're going to learn how to make a delicious parsley salad called Tabouleh. I've decided to share my recipe because it's so tasty, very healthy and I think people could benefit from eating it more often. I grew up eating this on a regular basis since it was a family favourite. Originating from Syria, Tabouleh became very popular in Lebanon and other Levintine countries and is now the most popular salad in all the Arab world.

When making Tabouleh, remember, patience is a virtue. I recommend making a lot at once because it's a bit time consuming. You're not just tearing up some iceberg lettuce and throwing cherry tomatoes on top, but.. it's worth the effort because it's really delicious and you'll eat it quick enough that you'll want more (at least if you're like me anyway!)

Ingredients

2 bunches curly parsley
1 bunch green onions
2 large tomatoes
1 small cucumber (optional)
3/4 cup burgul (fine)
Juice of 2 lemons
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tsp salt


Directions

Wash the parsley and vegetables very well. Start picking apart the parsley leaves from the stems. Discard all stems and try not to have them in the salad. Dice the tomatoes, green onions and cucumber and set aside. In a separate bowl, add boiling bater to the burgul and let stand for 10 minutes. You will notice the burgul will expand to twice the amount because of water absorption. Drain very well. Nothing is worse than a soggy Tabouleh.

Take a large handful of parsley at a time to a chopping board, and chop the heck out of it until it's very fine. Add all diced vegetables and burgul in a large bowl and then add the juice of the lemons, the olive oil and the remaining herbs and spices.

Mix very well to get everything incorporated. I like to refrigerate the salad for a bit before I dive in because I like to eat it cold and crisp.
Enjoy!