Tabbouleh (VG) from Salads are More than Leaves

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“I had to include a tabbouleh in this book. I love it. It can take a bit of herb-chopping practice, but trying not to over-chop your herbs does makes all the difference to the zingy freshness of this salad. If you can’t find Lebanese seven-spice mix, use a mixture of ground cinnamon and allspice.” Elena Silcock, author of Salads are More than Leaves

Serves 4

2 teaspoons Lebanese seven-spice mix

1 red onion

6 tomatoes

200g (7oz) bulgur wheat

50g (1¾oz) flat leaf parsley

50g (1¾oz) mint

4 spring onions

Salt and pepper

Lemon & Olive Oil dressing (see page 16 of Salads are More than Leaves), plus the juice of 1 extra lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

Crispy Chickpeas (see page 24 of Salads are More than Leaves), optional

Whisk up the dressing including the extra lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Stir in the seven-spice mix. Peel and finely slice the red onion, then add to the dressing and set aside.

Finely chop the tomatoes, add to a seperate large mixing bowl with a big pinch of salt and set aside.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the bulgur wheat and simmer over a medium-high heat for 7–10 minutes until cooked through.

Drain the bulgur in a sieve and rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Set aside in the sieve over a bowl to drain completely.

Drain off any liquid from the tomatoes in the bowl – salting and draining the tomatoes intensifies their flavour. Working with each bunchof herbs in turn, hold the stems and run a knife through the leaves – you want to finely shred the leaves, but not over-chop them so that they stay fresh and unbruised! Add the herbs to the bowl of tomatoes.

Finely slice the spring onions and add to the bowl. Add the bulgur wheat and the dressing and red onion, then season generously with salt and pepper and toss well. Spoon the tabbouleh into bowls and top with crispy chickpeas, if using.