Recipe: Tabbouleh

August 19, 5:14 PMSt. Louis Restaurant ExaminerShelley Satke

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the St. Louis Restaurant Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Tabbouleh

A few years ago, I read an interview with Halle Berry, and the reporter asked how she managed to stay so svelte.  Berry said the secret to her trim figure was eating tabbouleh for lunch two or three times a week.  In my horrid logic, I figured if I ate tabbouleh two or three times a week, I, too could look like the perfectly-sculpted Catwoman.  Not surprisingly, I never gained Berry's perfect honey complexion and toned arms, but I did discover a fantastic summertime dish.

Tabbouleh is a Middle-Eastern salad that includes bulghur (sometimes called cracked wheat), mint, scallion, lemon juice, vegetables and olive oil.  I have experimented with tabbouleh recipes over the years, and this is one I have customized to suit my tastes.  Halle Berry is right -- it really is a great lunch; it's filling, but because of all the vegetables and whole grains, it gives you plenty of energy to face the afternoon without putting you to sleep.  If you want to make a more substantial, stick-to-your-ribs version, try these variations:

• Top with diced chicken breast.
• Add a skewer of grilled shrimp.
• Make it Mexican by adding a can of kidney or black beans and tossing the salad with a bit of cumin and chili powder.  
• Before serving, top with a handful of crumbled goat cheese. 

Tabbouleh
Note:  If you cannot find bulghur wheat in the ethnic food section of your grocery store, look in the bulk grain aisle.
1-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup bulghur wheat
Juice of two lemons
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 bunch scallions, minced
1 bunch mint, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
2 tomatoes, chopped

Combine the boiling water, bulghur, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the bulghur stand for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Toss the bulghur, scallions, mint, cilantro, cucumber and tomatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  (I usually add about 1 teaspoon of each.)  You can serve immediately or refrigerate for later.