Proper Tabouli
"Tabouli is a well known dish from the Levant, but Australia in the 70s and 80s absolutely destroyed it as a dish to become this dry under-seasoned horror show served up in health food joints all across the continent. I learned from my friend Nagham that the keys to a tabouli with a flavour punch are:
- Don't scrimp on the parsley.
- Use the flesh of a lemon and not just the juice.
- SALT YOUR TOMATOES. This is possibly THE most important component. If you've salted your finely chopped tomatoes and think that's enough, ADD MORE. Trust me, Nagham knows what she's talking about! This aids in reducing the liquid in the tomatoes but adds an incredible flavour hit to the entire salad. Any time I prepare my tomatoes for tabouli, I hear Nagham's voice yelling MORE SALT!" ~ Kristy Alger, Animal Activist, Author of Five Essays for Freedom
Serves 4 | Prep time: 30 mins depending on how fast you can chop! | Cooking time: 0 mins
INGREDIENTS
Tabouli
- 1 cup bulgur wheat (coarse or fine depending on your preference)
- 2 large ripe tomatoes (heritage beefsteaks are perfect if available), finely chopped
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup mint, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, peeled and minced (retain the juice)
- Good quality olive oil
- SALT
White Bean Dip
- 1x 400g tin white beans
- Healthy dollop of hulled tahini
- Roasted garlic cloves
- Juice of a lemon
- Pinch raw sugar
- Glug of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Tabouli
- Wash the bulgur and then soak in a well flavoured vegetable stock (homemade or store bought, such as Massel etc.) Strain well after it becomes tender.
- Coat the tomatoes in salt and let sit. A good quality Kosher salt is best, but any salt is better than none! Drain off the excess tomato juice but do not rinse.
- Add all the chopped vegetables, lemon, bulgur wheat, herbs, and onion into a mixing bowl and combine gently. You want the acidity of the lemon and tomatoes to help break down the greens, but you don’t want to turn them to mush.
- Taste test and add more salt if needed.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to really get those juices working. Tabouli the day after is the absolute best.
- Serve alongside flat breads and dips such as hummus, baba ganoush, etc.
⭐️There is more to tabouli than chalky couscous with a smidge of green (which let’s face it is no tabouli at all!). This recipe is guaranteed to bring back your enjoyment of this dish. And a white bean dip serves as a perfect accompaniment for folks like me who have given themselves a chickpea allergy from eating too much hummus (yep, this is possible and it is tragic!)
White Bean Dip
- Chuck the beans, tahini, roasted garlic and lemon into a blender and start churning it up. Add as much olive oil as needed to make a smooth dip, then add the sugar to offset the tahini (this is optional). Taste test, season, done.
⭐️I would serve these dishes on a large sharing platter with flat breads, olive oil and za’atar for dipping, maybe add some olives and fresh dates. Cherries are always welcome when in season, fresh and tart, as are grapes. Add some orange slices as a palate cleanser. Then sit with loved ones communally and enjoy together, reaching your hands in towards one another in joy and love. Because that’s what food should evoke in all of us: togetherness.
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