Tabouli

In the Middle East, salads occupy a significant part of the diet.  But salads are not the usual lettuce and tomato we know in the West.  Salads are as varied as the local produce, and limited only by the imagination.

Tabouli is a very popular salad in the Middle East, and indeed, is gaining in popularity in the West as well.  There are some standards to this salad, but ultimately, tabouli is just another vehicle for variations on a theme. 

Ingredients for traditional tabouli

Cooked bulgur wheat

Parsley

Green onion, sliced

Chopped cucumber

Chopped tomato

2 cloves minced garlic

Dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper and a dash of cayenne

My version of tabouli was made with a barleyed rice which I cooked with chicken bullion and 1 tsp of cumin.  I also added sliced raw carrots to the mix.  The result was a lovely, chewy, intensely flavored and refreshing salad.