Taboulleh Salad

Tabbouleh is probably the most famous of Middle Eastern salads. I had this recently as part of lunch in a Lebanese restaurant. It was so delicious and refreshing that I had to have the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of bulghur wheat (burghul)
• 2 cups finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• Lettuce leaves to garnish

Method

1. Using a sieve, wash the burghul in cold water, removing any stones. Drain it and squeeze any excess water out.
2. Place the burghul into a bowl with lemon juice and put aside.
3. Finely chop the parsley, traditionally done by hand.
4. Finely chop the mint and mix with parsley.
5. Cut the tomatoes into quarters,  remove and discard seeds and pulp.
6. Finely cut the remaining pieces of tomato.
7. Finely chop the onion, again making the pieces as small as possible. Once it is chopped, rub salt and black pepper into it.
8. Mix all the chopped ingredients with the burghul, then stir in the olive oil.
9. Put in a serving bowl, on a bed of lettuce leaves. It may be eaten immediately, or left for several hours in the refrigerator. The longer it is left, the softer the burghul becomes.