Tabbouleh or Tabbouli is a Levantine salad traditionally made of bulgur, finely chopped parsley and mint, tomato and spring onion, seasoned with lemon juice and olive oil. Originating for the Arab region of Syria and Lebanon, Tabbouleh has become one of the most popular salads in the Middle Eastern cuisine. And due to its highly nutritive content, people all around the world ahve started appreciating this salad. Over the course of years, every country and region comes up with its own variation, as long as you stick to the basic ingredients. What I like about this salad is that Bulgur is a very wholesome food that fills you up quickly, and the fresh, minty flavor that comes from the herbs makes it an ideal lunch or dinner option.
The nutty variation that you see below comes from Jules of The Stonesoup blog. She originally used only brown rice, but I used some bulgur along with the rice to maintain the traditional taste and texture. The mint and parsley work great with the nutty flavor imparted by the toasted almonds, and also adds some good omega-3 fats to the recipe. You can use any nuts that you like – serve it with some pita bread, and you’ll be on your way to Lebanese bliss in no time!
Tabbouli with Brown Rice & Almonds
1 cup cooked bulgur
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves – chopped roughly
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole almonds – lightly toasted
pita bread, to serve, optional
natural yogurt, to serve, optionalIf using precooked rice, place in a bowl and pour over boiling water. Allow to stand for about 30 seconds then drain and rinse well with cold water to cool. Do the same with the bulgur wheat and cook it.
Chop off and discard about half of the parsley stalks. Then finely chop the remaining bunch with the rest of the stalks and leaves. Chop mint. In a large salad bowl stir herbs and onion through drained rice.
Combine lemon juice and oil and season well. Dress salad and toss though nuts.
Just before serving, add a dollop or two of fresh Yogurt on the salad; it adds a nice tangy flavor, and serve with some pita bread.
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