Tabouli Salad

The main ingredient of a tabouli salad is cracked wheat and you can use any variety, be it bulgur wheat, quinoa, or couscous. This gives the salad a unique texture and crunch. It is a very easy salad to prepare and you can use any vegetables that you like.

Some essential ingredients in a tabouli salad are, finely chopped onions, parsley, tomato, and lemon juice. This refreshing salad does not require any heavy dressing and so it makes a great dish for the summers. Any leftovers can be used as filling for sandwiches or in pita breads.

Ingredients

• Bulgur wheat, 2½ cups
• Large tomatoes, 2
• Parsley, ½ cup (chopped)
• Spring onions, ¼ cup (chopped)
• Mint, 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Salt, 1 tsp.
• Black pepper, ½ tbsp. (freshly ground)
• Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp.

Method
Place the bulgur wheat in a wide bowl and pour hot water over it. Cover the bowl with a plate and allow it to soak for 10 minutes. Meanwhile dice the tomatoes into cubes without removing the skin or the seeds. Drain the wheat in a large sieve and place them back into the bowl. Add the chopped onions, parsley, mint leaves, and spring onions.

Mix everything well. Now add the salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice. Combine all the ingredients together and taste the salad to check for seasoning. Refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving.

Ingredients

• Medium-grained couscous, 1½ cups
• Medium-sized cucumber, 1
• Garlic, 4 cloves (minced)
• Medium tomato, 1
• Flat leaf parsley, ½ cup (chopped)
• Mint leaves, ¼ cup (chopped)
• Feta cheese, ½ cup (crumbled)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt, ½ tsp.
• Black pepper, 1 tbsp.

Method
Chop the tomato and the cucumber finely and keep them aside in a large bowl. Add the minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, and mint and mix them together. In a shallow dish place the couscous and pour over some boiling water. Cover the dish with a plate and let it stand for 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the plate from the couscous and with a fork, gently fluff the grains to separate them. Add the couscous to the bowl of vegetables and combine them together. Add salt, black pepper, olive oil and lemon juice to this salad. Chill for 1 to 2 hours and add the crumbled feta cheese just before serving.

Ingredients

• Bulgur wheat, ½ cup
• Olive oil, 1 tbsp.
• Snow peas, ½ cup
• Medium-sized cucumber, 1 (sliced thinly)
• Soy sauce, 1 tbsp.
• Lemon juice, 2 tbsp, honey, ½ tbsp.
• Spring onions, ½ cup (chopped fine)
• Salt, 1 tsp.
• Black pepper, ½ tbsp. (freshly ground)
• Fresh coriander, 2 tbsp. (chopped)

Method
Boil two cups of water and pour it over the bulgur wheat placed in a shallow dish or bowl. Cover with a lid and let it stand for 5 to 6 minutes. When all the water has been absorbed, remove the lid and fluff the grains to make. This is a very important step, because the wheat will otherwise turn sticky.

In another bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil and chopped coriander with salt and pepper. Now pour this dressing on top of the bulgar wheat and add the snow peas, chopped spring onions and cucumber slices. Combine everything together so that each bulgar wheat grain is coated with the soy and lemon dressing. Serve the salad chilled.

A medium bowl of tabouli salad contains around 150 calories. You can even add toasted walnuts and pine nuts for additional crunch in your salad.