It's Too Hot to Cook! Rescue Yourself With Cool Recipes Like Tabbouleh

July 21, 7:03 PMDenver Food ExaminerAndrea Spikes

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Tabbouleh or bust

I don't know about you, but when it's above 95 degrees I don't want to do so much as boil water in my home. That sort of limits my dinner-cooking options. Oh sure, I could order a pizza or Chinese food or whatever - but what my overheated self longs for is something cool and refreshing. And I'm sick to the teeth of lettuce-based salad.

Tabbouleh originates from the Middle East, but don't let that intimidate you - the ingredients are far from exotic. To us white-bread types, the most "exotic" ingredient is bulgur wheat, which is traditionally made by parboiling and drying the wheat. The one I use is from Bob's Red Mill, a brand you'll find in most grocery stores, and is 100% whole grain. Why whole grain? Because it's good for you. Fiber. Protein. Nutrients. Leaps from tall buildings in a single bound. You get the idea.

This is a fairly basic recipe, but there are of course many variations. Not enough protein? Top it with some pine nuts and/or grilled chicken. Use couscous instead of bulgur if you're so inclined. Betcha won't break a sweat making this! You don't even have to boil water.

Tabbouleh Salad
Serves six

2 cups bulgur (presoaked for one hour with 2 cups water: if it's still a bit crunchy, add another 1/2 cup water and soak for another 15 minutes)
3 cups parsley, finely minced (use less if you're not thrilled by parsley, but make sure you mince it really really fine)
1/4 cup mint, finely chopped
3 green onions, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 medium tomatoes, seeded & diced (or a can of petite diced tomatoes, drained a bit)
1 medium cucumber, diced (scoop out the seeds to prevent additional water)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

After soaking the bulgur, toss with the parsley, mint, onions, pepper, cumin, salt, tomatoes and cucumber. Stir in lemon juice, cover and chill for an hour. Stir in olive oil and serve.