my mothers lebanese tabbouleh
Recipes
Soups & Salads
My Mother's Lebanese Tabbouleh
"My mother's is best" is an adage that fits this recipe perfectly. There are a lot of variations of tabbouleh out there—some mostly made of bulgur, some without cucumbers, some with spice—but I always compare those variations to my mother's recipe, and they never stack up.
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine bulgur (sometimes called #1)
- 2 bunches curly parsley
- 12 large mint leaves
- 1/2 english cucumber
- 5 scallions
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 2 lemons, juiced (about 6 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, plus more to taste
Directions
- Put the bulgur in a bowl, cover it with an inch of just-boiled water, and let it sit at least 20 minutes. (It will double in size.)
- Wash and dry the parsley and mint. Remove the stems, finely chop the herbs together, and put them in a large mixing bowl.
- Peel and deseed the cucumber half. Slice it lengthwise into thirds, then chop. Chop the scallions and tomatoes and add them to the cucumber, parsley, and mint.
- Drain any remaining water out of the bulgur and add it to the vegetables.
- Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the salad. Mix well, taste, and adjust the seasoning and olive oil as needed.
