TABBOULEH

Everything in a bowl of tabbouleh screams Lebanon... Screams out our diversity, our love for a country that's rich and generous... The first Saturday of the month of July marks National Tabbouleh Day. It's when all Lebanese and non-Lebanese alike meet and enjoy eating one of Lebanon's rich and cultural dishes!!
 

The Lebanese Tabbouleh is a fresh, light, and super-green salad, mainly with parsley (richer in Vitamin C than orange juice). It is served as a cold Mezze with hummus, baba ghanouj, fried potatoes and a side salad to grilled chicken and beef. 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups finely chopped Parsley (most of the stalks discarded, leaves washed and dried)

1 cup finely diced Tomato

1/2 cup finely sliced Spring Onions, the greens and whites

1/4 cup finely chopped Mint

1/4 cup bulgur

1/4 cup fresh Lemon Juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/ 4 tsp. 7 Spices

1/2 tsp. ground Cinnamon

1 tsp. Lemon Zest

Lettuce head washed

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse the bulgur in several changes of cold water. Drain well and put in a bowl. Stir it with a fork every now and then to help it fluff up.

Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl and set aside while you prepare the herbs.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by washing and drying thoroughly.

The best way to chop is to gather the parsley bunches into tightwads (as in picture). Discard some of the stems.

Using a razor-sharp knife, grab as much of the parsley as you can handle in a bunch and slice them very thin to end up with nice slender strips.

Drain the tomatoes of their juice and put them in a large bowl. Add the spring onion, parsley, and mint. Sprinkle the bulgur all over. Add the lemon zest. Season with the cinnamon and allspice. Add salt to taste. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately with the quartered gem lettuce.