Tabouleh

Tabouleh is the perfect summer salad, refreshing, healthy, and easy to make.  Served cold or room temperature, it is a fine accompaniment to grilled kufte, kabob, and chicken along with some pita and hummus.  Tabouleh is also wonderful on a buffet line up for barbecues.  The green herbaceous flavor along with the lemon juice zip cools you down on a hot summer day.

Last night I grilled chicken thighs and served them with the minty, lemony tabouleh salad, pita bread, and hummus after the sun set on our patio.

Serves 4 to 6

1 cup of #2 bulgur

1 cup boiling water

3 cups chopped parsley (I use curly for this salad)

1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

3/4  cup minced fresh scallions

2 and 1/2 cups diced fresh tomatoes

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Place bulgur in a medium bowl.  Pour  boiling water over it and set  bowl aside.  Place parsley, mint, scallions, and tomatoes in a salad bowl.  Put lemon juice , olive oil , salt, and pepper together in a glass or small pitcher.  Whisk to blend and then set aside.

When  bulgur has absorbed all of the water (in about 1/2 hour), separate grains with the tines of a fork.  Add  fluffed bulgur to  herbs and tomatoes.  Dress  salad with the lemon juice, olive oil mix.  Refrigerate until you eat. This salad serves 4 as a salad portion. It serves more people if it is part of a large buffet spread.