Categories: Food

TABOULI SALAD

Tabouli or often called Tabbouleh is a Mediterranean salad made of lots of parsley,vegetables and bulger wheat with olive oil and lime on top for seasoning. Tabouli is very popular in Middle East but gaining lot of popularity in other parts of the world as a healthy ,vegan dish.

Often parsley is widely used to garnish any dish but in this dish it is the main ingredient and used in large quantity.

Bulger wheat are a good source of dietary fiber, providing approximately 2.3 grams of fiber in every 100 grams of wheat. The carbohydrates provided in whole wheat are complex carbohydrates, which are believed overall to be more beneficial to health than simple carbohydrates. The bulger wheat is ready by soaking in hot water and doesnot require cooking.

If you are looking for gluten free option then replace bulger wheat with quinoa. Quinoa is a complete protein pack, this means it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body needs. It contains 8 grams of protein (versus 6 grams in a cup of cooked bulgar). Quinoa is rich in magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, phosphorus and vitamin E. Also,it is naturally gluten-free, which is super beneficial for those with gluten intolerance and has a low glycemic index, which is great for blood sugar control. It is super high in antioxidants.

INGREDIENTS

2 Large bunches of Parsley (chopped)
1 Cucumber ,peeled and diced
finely chooped onions
1 Tomatoes diced
Bulgur wheat OR quinoa for a gluten-free option (amount varies depending on your preference)
Olive oil (just enough to spray over the salad)
Fresh lemon juice of one lemon (or more), squeezed
All spice (to taste)
Sea salt (to taste) – optional
lemon

HOW TO MAKE IT WITH BULGER WHEAT

Place bulgur wheat in a small bowl. Bring 1 cup water to bubble and pour over bulgur wheat. Mix and adsorb for 30 minutes until water is retained. Try not to deplete.
While the bulgur wheat is absorbed in water ,prepare vegetables and spices.
To make the dressing, combine as one the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt in little bowl.
Throw the bulgur wheat, vegetables and spices together. Mix in the dressing. Refrigerate no less than an hour prior to serving. Saves for a long time in fridge.

HOW TO MAKE IT WITH BULGER WHEAT

Cook quinoa as per package directions. About ⅓ cup uncooked quinoa leads to 1 cup cooked. If cooking in pressure cooker combine 1 cup rinsed quinoa with 1¼ cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt and pressure cook for 1-2 minutes, high pressure.
prepare vegetables and spices.
To make the dressing, combine as one the lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt in little bowl.
Throw the bulgur wheat, vegetables and spices together. Mix in the dressing. Refrigerate no less than an hour prior to serving. Saves for a long time in fridge.

This is a vegetarian dish, and can be gluten free if you use quinoa other than bulger wheat.

Shyna Gupta