Rosie Makes Tabbouleh With A Twist.

 

  One of my favorite things to make in the summertime is tabbouleh.  Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad made with bulgur wheat, perfectly ripe tomatoes, lemon, and fresh herbs (mint and parsley).  This Lebanese dish is fragrant, fresh, and refreshing - a perfect summer dish.  

 

 

That said, I'm going to take out one of the main ingredients - the tomato - and swap it for another wonderful summer fruit - watermelon.  It's Rosie's twist on traditional tabbouleh.  And I think you'll like it as much as the original.

Tabbouleh is another one of those recipes where the amounts of the ingredients are pretty much up to you and your tastes.  I'm giving you basic guidelines here;  if you want to adjust, taste-test and go for it.

By the way, if you're not familiar with bulgur wheat, it's partially cooked whole-grain kernels of wheat.  It has a nutty flavor and chewy texture.  Even though it's already been parboiled, you still need to cook it before using it.  Cooking times depend on the type of wheat you get, so always check the package for the directions.  The way I do it is put 1 part dry bulgur in a bowl and pour 2 parts boiling water over top.  Cover the bowl and let it sit about an hour.  Pour off any water that isn't absorbed.  Fork-fluff.  Generally, 1 part dried bulgur will yield 3 parts "cooked."

 

Rosie's Waternelon Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur wheat, "cooked" as above, drained, and fluffed

2 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed (Do I really need to tell you to remove the seeds?)

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

2 green onions, sliced

2 TB chopped basil

1/4 cup chopped parsley (I prefer Italian parsley over curly leaf parsley.)

1/2 cup chopped mint

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Mix all ingredients.

Toss with dressing.

 

Dressing: 

juice of 2 lemons

1/4 balsamic vinegar

1/2 - 3/4 cup neutral- flavored oil (I use Bertolli's extra light olive oil.)

kosher salt, to taste

Mix lemon juice and vinegar.  Slowly whisk in oil to make an emulsion.  Salt to taste.

Pour over tabbouleh ingredients and toss to coat evenly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  Fluff up and stir before serving.

Scoop up with chips or crackers or wrap up in a lettuce leaf.

Again, as I said before, this is your starting point.  If you want to add more flavors, do so.

  Here are your basic tabbouleh ingredients:

Add in dressing.

Toss.

And serve.

Enjoy.