This salad is great to make when you have a lot of fresh tomatoes on hand, and it's a little different from run-of-the-mill picnic salads. I like to use cherry or grape tomatoes in the salad, but you can use larger tomatoes and chop them up into small pieces. Plenty of fresh chopped parsley, mint, and oregano add flavor, complement the tomatoes, and provide nice color to the salad. Bulgur wheat is key to the salad, but it's easy to make ahead and cool. I like the salad alongside lamb kibbeh patties (see the previous post for the recipe), and the salad also is great with grilled meats. Or make the salad a main dish by adding some chicken and perhaps feta cheese on top. Enjoy!
Tomato Tabbouleh Salad -- Serves 4+
1 cup of soaked bulgur (see below)
3 - 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
3 - 4 tablespoons of chopped fresh mint
2 - 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 - 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 - 1/2 cups of halved cherry or grape tomatoes, red or whatever colors you have
In a large heat-proof bowl or measure cover 1 cup of bulgur with 3 cups of boiling water, stir, and let the bulgur sit for 30-60 minutes to absorb the water. Drain the bulgur, if necessary. Fluff the bulgur with a fork and let it cool completely. You'll need only 1 cup of the soaked bulgur for the recipe. The remainder can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for other uses. Bulgur is really good! Use it instead of rice or potatoes. For the salad, combine 1 cup of the cooled bulgur in a large bowl or measure with the parsley, mint, oregano, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Gently stir in the tomatoes until combined. Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature.
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