Tabouleh

I'd eaten many versions of Tabouleh over the years. Some I liked, some I didn't. I started looking for recipes to make my own. There were things about the ones I found that I liked and things I didn't. Eventually, I decided to take my favorite elements from three or four recipes and tweak them to my tastes and ended up with an earlier version of this recipe that used olive oil. When I stopped eating oil, I needed to find a way to make the dressing work, so I came up with the idea of using walnuts to as a substitute for the olive oil. This recipe in both its forms has been one of my most requested recipes when I've taken it to potluck dinners or served it to guests.

 Tabouleh
¾ cup bulgur wheat
2 cups cold water

3 spring onions
1 large bunch parsley
1 small bunch fresh mint

1 large tomato
1 large cucumber

½ cup lemon juice
½ cup walnuts

Dash Middle Eastern spice mix, optional*




Place bulgur in large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain through sieve lined with cheesecloth. 

Spread bulgur onto a cloth allow to air dry (about 30 minutes).


While the bulgur dries, chop spring onion and set aside. Chop parsley (approximately 2 cups after chopped) and mint (approximately ¼ cup after chopped). Set aside

 Carefully move bulgur from the cloth into a large bowl.

Add spring onion, parsley, and mint to bulgur. Stir to combine. Set aside

Chop tomato and cucumber. Add to bulgur mixture. Stir to combine.

Grind walnuts in a blender until finely ground. Add lemon juice and spice mix, if using. Blend until well blended. Pour over bulgur mixture. Stir until well incorporated.**

Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. Flavor enhances as it marinates.***

 * Middle Eastern Spice Mix isn't easy to find, so if desired you can add a dash of curry powder or garam masala. While it's certainly not necessary and is almost undetectable, I think it enhances the other flavors a bit if you have it.

 ** If you've made traditional Tabouleh with olive oil, you might notice this dressing tends to be whiter that that dressing.

 *** I prefer to let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours as I think it tastes better then without getting mushy though it can marinate for several hours if you want to make it ahead of time.
Many thanks to my neighbors, Kate and Ben, for letting me raid their mint when I realized mine wasn't ready to be harvested so I could go ahead and make Tabouleh on the day I wanted to!

 Note: I use as many organic ingredients as I can find, so I rarely include the word "organic" in my list of ingredients.

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