Fresh (true) tabbouleh. (Credit: Kamal Mouzawak)
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Preparation 20 min
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Portions
4 people
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Difficulty
Easy
- 2 bunches of flat-leaf parsley (about 150 g per bunch)
- 1 small bunch of mint (75 g)
- 2 small green onions
- 2 large, bright red but firm tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fine bulgur
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and mild pepper
- Romaine lettuce or white cabbage leaves to eat the tabbouleh.
- Sort through the parsley and gather the stems into bunches. Remove the mint leaves from their stems. Wash the parsley, mint, tomatoes, and green onions, and allow them to dry.
- Wash the bulgur and drain it well. Place it in a bowl. Dice the tomato and add it to the bulgur. Add a pinch of salt and mix well so the bulgur soaks up the tomato juice. Finely slice the mint and hide it under the finely sliced parsley.
- Place them on top of the bulgur/tomato mixture.
- Finely chop the green onion. Add a small pinch of mild pepper and rub the onion well with the pepper. Add to the bowl.
- Cover everything with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. You can also prepare it the day before. Tabbouleh is only good when it’s very fresh, even cold.
- When ready to serve, mix all the ingredients together. Once you've finished, pour over the lemon juice and olive oil. Toss quickly one last time, taste, and serve immediately.
- Tabbouleh can be enjoyed with fresh, tender, and crunchy romaine lettuce leaves or white cabbage leaves. The ultimate pleasure, in my eyes, is to enjoy it with fresh grape leaves, or tender green bell pepper leaves like my mother used to do!"
Recipe tips : « When you chop parsley—or rather, when you slice it—don’t do it the Western way. Don’t go back over the chopped vegetables, as this damages the parsley, making it black and juicy. You must chop the parsley finely, only once, without ever going back over a section the knife has already covered. Hold the bunch firmly with your fingers, not your whole palm, which would warm the parsley and « cook » it. The knife should be angled outwards, not inwards or straight. Guide the knife with the index finger holding the bunch. This way, there’s no danger of cutting your fingers ! The index finger will guide the knife, and the slicing will be done by barely cutting into the bunch so that it’s as thin as possible. »
-
Preparation 20 min
-
Portions
4 people
-
Difficulty
Easy
- 2 bunches of flat-leaf parsley (about 150 g per bunch)
- 1 small bunch of mint (75 g)
- 2 small green onions
- 2 large, bright red but firm tomatoes
- 1 tbsp fine bulgur
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and mild pepper
- Romaine lettuce or white cabbage leaves to eat the tabbouleh.
