5 1/2 c boiling water
4 cups bulghur
teaspoon salt
1/2 c lemon juice -- or to taste
1/4 c olive oil -- or more
2 bunches parsley -- chopped finely
(must be fresh)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint -- or 4 tbsp
or
1 tsp dried mint -- or 2 tsp
2 bunches green onions -- sliced thinly
3 fresh tomatoes -- chopped (3 to 4) (stage 2)
optional additions or garnishes:
canned tuna
cooked white or garbanzo beans
hard-cooked eggs
marinated artichoke hearts
ripe olives
In a large bowl put the bulghur and salt. Pour the boiling water over, stir, and let sit until the water is absorbed, 20 minutes or more. Add the lemon juice, stir. You can refrigerate the bulghur at this point overnight or for a couple of days if you want. Add all the other ingredients including more salt to taste. (I find that the more lemon juice you like, the more salt you may want.) Toss the salad with a light hand and put the tomatoes in last of all so they don't get all mashed up. To make the salad look pretty, stick a sprig or two of fresh mint or parsley in the middle. This salad keeps well, refrigerated, for a few days. Here, Diana, is my recipe. I must confess that I am not Lebanese, and the original recipe, which I have adapted quite a bit, came from Sunset Magazine 25 yrs. ago! I have tasted some Tabouli made by a Lebanese woman which was different. You can make it your own way, too, by changing the proportions of just about everything. Most tabouli has garlic, for example--mine doesn't. This makes a large batch suitable for a potluck or large family. The addition of tuna is definitely not traditional but makes a main dish out of it and goes well with the other flavors