RECIPE: Flexible and economical, taboulleh is ideal for quarantine cooking
During the pandemic, my husband and I have tried to eat as healthfully as possible to avoid the “Quarantine 15.” Preparing salads with substance has been one of our strategies for not packing on the pounds.
The Middle Eastern dish taboulleh consists of bulgur wheat tossed with tomatoes, onions, a hefty helping of parsley — sometimes mint, too — and a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon juice. But like the many spellings of this grain salad — tabouli, tabuli, tabbouleh — the ingredients and their quantities can vary. As chef Michael Solomonov writes in his cookbook, “Zahav,” “In Israel, it is very unlikely you will find it made the same way in two kitchens.” He points out that in Galilee, tabbouleh is “nearly all parsley, seasoned with an ungodly amount of lemon juice.”
The flexibility of this economical grain salad makes it ideal for quarantine cooking. You could follow the lead of Einat Admony, chef and author of Israeli cookbook “Shuk,” and turn it into an autumnal superfood salad by using quinoa instead of bulgur, massaged kale instead of parsley, and sweetened dried cranberries to counter the bitterness of the grains and greens.
Admony adds crunch with sliced almonds. “Sababa” cookbook author Adeena Sussman likes pairing toasted pine nuts and almonds in her Super Nutty Avocado Tabbouleh recipe. Solomonov adds pomegranates when they are in season. I sometimes finish with a sprinkle of feta.
No matter the ingredients, I find that the result tastes best when the water weight is reduced. Let the bulgur drain well. Salt the diced cucumber and set that over a colander as well. If you have the time and inclination, seed the tomato (save the pulp for a separate cooking session). The salad will be lighter and drier, and the seasonings will shine brighter.
- 1 cup bulgur
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt plus more for salting cucumber
- 3 firm tomatoes, seeded (if desired) and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red or white onion or thinly sliced scallions
- 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup mint, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Place the bulgur in a medium bowl, add the boiling water, cover and let soak 1 hour. Drain thoroughly in a large sieve.
- Meanwhile, toss the chopped cucumber with a few generous pinches of salt and set in a colander. Let drain.
- Once bulgur has drained well, transfer to a salad bowl and fluff. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley and mint. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Add the dressing to the taboulleh and gently combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serves 4-6.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 4: 295 calories (percent of calories from fat, 41), 7 grams protein, 39 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 15 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 630 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
Ligaya Figueras is the AJC's senior editor for Food & Dining. Prior to joining the AJC in 2015, she was the executive editor for St. Louis-based culinary magazine Sauce. She has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 and holds degrees from St. Louis University and the University of Michigan.
