Tabouli….Mmmmmm. Crunchy, fresh, raw, tart salad that fills. Eat parsley–it’s wonderful for your health. Since I quit eating sugar, I coincidentally began making tabouli–lots of it. I’m excited for you to try this easy, delicious, super-healthy recipe.
Easy Tabouli
1 bunch of parsley chopped finely (if I had a food processor, I’d use it)
2 tomatoes cut into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, chopped
juice of 2 fresh-squeezed lemons
olive oil (I don’t measure! Just coat the ingredients….1/4-1/2 C., maybe?)
1 cup bulgar
1/4-1/2 tsp. sumac
pinch sea salt
(You can add finely chopped cucumbers, and most recipes call for chopped fresh mint. I don’t care for the taste of mint in my tabouli, which is why it is not listed. Experiment!)
Soak one cup bulgar in one cup water for approximately 30-60 minutes. Transfer to bigger bowl and mix in parsley, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with sumac and salt.
Combine well so the olive oil and lemon juice coat all the ingredients.
One reason I love this recipe so much is that my meat-eating, sugar-consuming, fruit-and-vegetable-negligent-husband happens to love it and devour it. We eat it several times a week.
I learned from a Lebanese friend that you can use sumac in this Middle Eastern salad, although typically sumac is used in recipes like spinach pie… You can find this wonderfully tart ingredient at international grocery stores.
Bulgar is a whole grain packed with protein and iron. It’s delicious in all sorts of recipes after soaking in water. Try using it in place of white rice or pasta, or add it to salads of all types.
Parsley is an amazing herb. When I worked at a health food grocery store 10 years ago, I learned a lot about this plant. Though I worked in the vitamin and mineral section of the store, and customers came in looking for a magic pill for all types of maladies, I constantly brought the sick and weary over to the produce and explained the benefits of parsley. One bunch of parsley is so much cheaper, fresher and more natural than a bottle of this or that. Fighting fatigue? Eat parsley. Gassy? Halitosis? High blood pressure? Parsley is indicated for these and many other problems.
According to Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James and Phyllis Balch (excellent comprehensive guide to drug-free remedies) the actions and uses of parsley are as follows:
“Contains a substance that prevents the multiplication of tumor cells. Expels worms, relieves gas, stimulates normal activity of the digestive system, and freshens breath. Helps bladder, kidney, liver, lung, stomach, and thyroid function. Good for bed-wetting, fluid retention, gas, halitosis, high blood pressure, indigestion, kidney disease, obesity, and prostrate disorders. Contains more vitamin C than oranges, by weight.“
I don’t love the flavor of parsley, in fact it’s a little bitter for me, but in Tabouli I could eat bunches and bunches…
