cool food for hot days … Tabbouleh Salad

Despite this recent heat wave, we’re nearing the end of the gardening season and my little community plot is still happily cranking along. Though it wasn’t the best year for tomatoes, my herbs have been unbelievable. At least once a week I’m aggressively cutting back the basil, lemon verbena and mint in an effort to tame and contain the little beasts. I recently trimmed the oregano so aggressively I think it might shiver a little as I approach. My rosemary bush is having a year like no other but it’s the parsley that is the most surprising. No matter how much I cut it back, it springs forth with new vigor in all its vibrant, bushy glory. I’ve been using it quite a bit in the last month but needed to step up my efforts. It was time for tabbouleh.

When I think of dishes that use a lot of parsley, tabbouleh immediately comes to mind. It’s a classic Mediterranean dish consisting of finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur (cracked wheat), tomatoes and onion, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. The herbs are fresh and light, the cracked wheat adds texture and chew and a lemon heavy dressing brightens everything up. It is the perfect dish for hot days.

I’ve been making tabbouleh for ages but as I started eating more Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, I saw versions that were much heavier on the parsley than what I made. I slowly came to the realization that for years I’d been making tabbouleh backwards – more bulgur than parsley – when in fact, it should be the other way around. I also came to the realization that I greatly preferred the parsley heavy version.

Further research revealed that tabbouleh is essentially an herb salad rather than a grain salad – lots and lots of fresh parsley and often mint with a small amount of bulgur and other vegetables to add flavor and texture. It can vary greatly, of course, but I realized quickly that I needed to increase the parsley by quite a bit in my recipe.

I picked up a nifty trick from Serious Eats that involves tossing the chopped tomatoes in salt, draining off the liquid the using that flavorful tomato water to cook the bulgur. Genius! Wish I had thought of it but I will certainly use this idea to add flavor to other grains. While I loved this trick, I thought their recipe was a bit too salty and a little too fussy. I took the parts of their recipe that I liked – a pinch of cinnamon in the dressing is especially delicious – and added them to mine for a sort of new and improved version of my old favorite, with a boatload more parsley of course.

A basic tabbouleh is quite simple, just the herbs, chopped tomatoes, bulgur and onion tossed lightly with a light lemony dressing but I like to add a few extras to make it a little more substantial. For this version, a good cup of diced cucumber and a can of chickpeas fills it out a bit for more of a heartier salad with pita chips or warm bread. Sometimes, that’s all I need or I might serve it with some hummus and/or baba ghanoush for my own meze platter. If I’m really hungry, a shish kebab of some sort works very nicely.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: I really like these flavors – bright, herby, light, punchy. I’m thrilled that it uses two big fat bunches of parsley and though you can chop it in a food processor, I find the repetitive motion of rocking my chef knife back and forth over the leaves to be immensely satisfying. Reducing big piles of herbs into a neat cup or two brings is a nice accomplishment. I’m not sure how far in advance you can make this as I’ve never had a lot leftover but the lemon juice will start to break down the fresh herbs over time. The bigger concern is tomatoes and cucumbers will continue to release liquid and has a tendency to make the mixture soggy, so what I like to do is get all the prep work done and toss it in the dressing an hour or two before serving. If you do have leftovers, take those extra pita chips and crumble them in just before serving for a sort of middle eastern panzanella or fattoush.

Eight years ago: Classic Sour Cream Coffeecake
Seven years ago: Blueberry Raspberry Cobbler
Six years ago: Plum Kuchen
Five years ago: Bastille Day Lunch – Figgy BBQ Sauce
Four years ago: Roasted Ratatouille with Sweet Corn Polenta
Three years ago: Aunt Patti’s Cornbread
Two years ago: Small Batch Spiced Plum Butter
Last year: German Apple Cheese Torte

TABBOULEH SALAD – a combination of an old recipe of mine and this one
Makes about 5 cups
Other grains such as quinoa and couscous work extremely well in place of the bulgur. Adjust cooking time, and maybe the liquid, according to the grain. Not sure that would be tabbouleh but it would be tabbouleh-inspired, certainly.

¾ pound ripe tomatoes, finely diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup dry coarse bulgur wheat
2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (about 2 bunches)
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves (about 1 big bunch)
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
1 cup diced English cucumber, seeds removed
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh juice
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Pita or pita chips for serving

1. Season tomatoes with salt and toss to combine.
2. Transfer to a fine mesh strainer set in a bowl and allow to drain for 20 minutes. Reserve liquid – you should have around ½ cup. If not, add water up to the ½ cup measure.
3. Bring reserved tomato water to a boil, then pour over bulgur in a small heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand until bulgur is softened, about 1 hour (bulgur may still have a slight bite, but will continue to soften in the salad).
4. If there is any excess liquid after an hour of soaking, drain bulgur and pat gently dry with paper towels.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, coriander, cinnamon and pepper until well combined.
6. In a large mixing bowl, stir together tomatoes, parsley, mint, bulgur, scallions, cucumber and chickpeas.
7. Add the dressing mixture and gently toss to combine.
8. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. Serve with pita or pita chips. Can be made several hours ahead. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

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