Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad made with vegetables, herbs and bulgar wheat. It is totally healthy and packed with flavor. The al dente bulgar has a nutty crunch, and is seasoned with fresh lemon juice and lots of parsley and mint. For each bite, you find yourself selecting just the right combination of vegetables and bulgar. I give credit to Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa,  for turning me on to this recipe, which I have been making for several years. I will confess that whenever I make it, I think of my mother and how she would have reveled in this salad; yes, she would have eaten herself sick with it and then said, (in her post-stroke, restricted speech) "too much too much." I had some leftover roasted chicken which I cubed and added, to make this vegetable and protein rich as a lunch entry, but it is wonderful without the chicken, as a side dish. It has the benefit of being at its peak several hours after it is prepared and served at room temperature. What more could you ask for?!

Tabbouleh Salad with Roasted Chicken

1 1/2 c. bulgar wheat

2 1/4 c. boiling water

1/4 c. lemon juice (2 lemons)

1/4 c. olive oil

4 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided

1 c. finely diced scallions (1 bunch)

1 c. chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)

1 c. chopped flat-leaf, Italian parsley (1 bunch)

1 large hothouse cucumber (or a number of small ones), unpeeled and medium diced

2 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

several cups of cubed, roasted chicken (optional)

Place the bulgar in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, lemon juice, olive oil and 2 tsp. salt.  Stir together with a fork; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let set for one hour, for the liquids to be absorbed by the bulgar. 

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables and herbs. Uncover the bulgar and add the vegetables, herbs, 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Stir to combine. Stir in the cubed chicken, if desired. Refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.