Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a Middle-Eastern salad made with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and herbs such as parsley and mint drenched in a simple lemon juice-olive oil vinaigrette. While the husband loves tabbouleh and all things Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern, I have never been a fan of bulgur/cracked wheat. I used to grimace just thinking of cracked wheat upma when I was growing up. I used to call it "mannu (sand) upma". Cracked wheat literally tastes like gritty sand to me. However, having to fend for myself now, I am no longer that picky and more open to things. So, on those few days that I do make a salad or upma with cracked wheat, I add a lot of strong flavors to mask the muddy, sandy quality of cracked wheat.

This is my version of Tabbouleh, with hints of Mediterranean (feta) and Italian influences (basil). I really like this salad, because when basil is ground to a paste (similar to pesto), it just brings out more flavor and punch, so I like to use ground basil. You can even get basil paste at the grocery store near the herb section. To me, basil makes the salad more palatable. I don't like parsley, so I added our Indian substitute - coriander leaves. You can also substitute bulgur wheat with couscous, and the salad tastes great.

Ingredients (serves 4): 

1. 1 cup bulgur / cracked wheat
2. 1.25 cups boiling vegetable broth/stock or just boiling water
3. zest of 1 lemon
4. 1/4 cup lemon juice
5. 2 tablespoons olive oil
6. 1 cucumber, finely chopped
7. 1 tomato, chopped
8. a few sprigs of coriander leaves/cilantro, chopped
9. 2 tablespoons basil paste (puree basil, some oil, with a hint of lemon juice)
10. 2 teaspoons dried mint leaves
11. 1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed
12. 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
13. 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation:

1. In a wide bowl, add bulgur and the boiling vegetable stock / water. Close the bowl and let the bulgur cook/stand for 20-25 minutes. Then, fluff the cooked bulgur with a fork. 
2. Add basil paste and dried mint leaves and mix well. 
3. Add cucumber, tomato and lemon zest and mix. 
4. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to form a vinaigrette. 
5. Pour over the salad and toss. 
6. Finally add feta and coriander leaves and gently mix. 

Let the salad rest for 1 hour (at the least) and then serve at room temperature.