Marta’s Tabouli Salad Recipe (tabouleh)
What is Tabouli?
This is a traditional Mediterranean dish served as a side. I personally love mine served up next to a cast-iron pan fried Salmon fillet or as an add on within my kebab!
Ingredients
1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat
1/2 cup water
4 very finely chopped tomatoes or 10-15 cherry tomatoes
2 large bunches of small leaf parsley, stems removed, very finely chopped
1 small bunch of fresh mint leaves, stems removed, very finely chopped
1/4 of a red or white onion, very finely chopped
Salt
1/3 a lemon, squeeze the juice in
A good dash of extra virgin olive oil
Method
Wash the bulgur wheat and cook or soak until soft and a bit larger, for best results just follow your package directions. Drain off any excess water as best you can, and set aside to cool.
Finely chop the tomatoes, onions and of course parsley.
Mix gently together all of the ingredients and season with salt.
Add your freshly squeezed lemon and a good glug of olive oil and mix gently.
For the tasteist Tabouli, I like to cover and place in my friedge for another 30 minutes. If you are in a rush, it’s ok to skip this step. Transfer to a serving platter or plate and serve,
Tips for the best tabouli salad
Tabouli is best when we follow the techniques of the ancient Middle East.
pre plan to allow the bulgur enough time to cool before assembling
vegetables are chopped very very finely
excess water is strained from the bulgur
Staining the juice from the tomatoes
What to serve with your Tabouli
Tabouli adds the fresh touch of the Middle East to the feast, next to your favourite flavoursome side dishes. For a quick dinner, I would recommend trying it with a cast-iron, pan-seared Salmon fillet!
How healthy is it?
Tabouli is an incredible little dish packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Because it’s jam-packed with Parsley, there is a natural Vitamin A content. I grow small leaf Parsley in my herb garden and I cured my own dandruff by eating this regularly!
Parsley is also rich in antioxidants, you know, the ones that stop you from aging so quickly…it has flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamin C!
Tabouli is LOW in calories, yet high in fibre, which could work for you as a lunch or dinner side dish which is filling, low calories and packed full of nutrients. This could be a great one for losing weight.
