Tabbouleh salad

This classic Middle Eastern salad is a refreshing parsley salad with bulgur wheat, cucumbers, and tomatoes dressed with a simple lemon vinaigrette. Easy to make, this salad can be put together with veggies and herbs that are available all year round and can be served a both - a delicious vegetarian lunch and a summer-suitable side.

This dish requires very few ingredients and as with all simple recipes, it is important to use the best ingredients you can lay your hands on. Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley and mint, sweet red cherry tomatoes and tender English cucumber. 

The recipe calls for soaking the cracked wheat in cold water, but in our house, we like it a little soft, so I used boiling water. Use hot or cold water as per your requirement to re-hydrate the wheat.

Ingredients: 
1/3 cup cracked bulgur wheat
2-3  green onions
1/2 English cucumber
1/2 bunch fresh parsley
Handful fresh mint
A pint of cherry tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes)
Dressing
zest and juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tbsp lemon juice)
3 tbsp olive oil
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

1. Place cracked wheat in bowl and cover with 1/2 cup of boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, drain and squeeze out excess water.
2. Whisk all the ingredients of dressing together and keep aside. 
3. Chop green onions, mint and parsley fine. Dice cucumber thinly and quarter the cherry tomatoes. 
4. Add all the herbs and veggies to a large bowl. Add the soaked bulgur along with the dressing and toss everything together. Let the flavors blend in for an hour before serving.
5. If you let the salad sit overnight, the flavors have a chance to merge and it tastes even better. 

Serving suggestion

1. Serve as a side with any grilled or BBQ main dish.
2. Add some drained canned chickpeas and serve as a Lunch salad.
3. Substitute quinoa for cracked wheat to enhance the protein content.