Tabbouleh or tabouli is lemony, delicious and refreshing. Here I show you how to serve this authentic healthy Lebanese salad as bite sized appetizers! Lots of tips and variations too. Gluten free (quinoa), low carb and high protein options.
Rinse the fine bulgur wheat in cold water, drain in a sieve and set it aside. Fluff it up with a fork from time to time. It is ready when it swells up well.
Rinse the herbs and spin them in the salad spinner.
Using a sharp knife chop the parsley, mint and green onions.
Slice the tomatoes thinly. Stack two to three slices, place on a cutting board and chop them crosswise.
Stir the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to make the dressing.
In a mixing bowl combine all the salad ingredients very well. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve at once or refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. This will enhance the taste and flavor even more.
Toast the pine nuts in a toaster oven for about 5 minutes or less until golden brown.
Sprinkle the pine nuts on the top.
APPETIZER STYLE - TABOULI SALAD BITES
Scoop out the tabouli into endive lettuce leaves, baked and cooled fillo cups, tostitos scoops. The filo cups or tostitos scoops should be filled right before serving or they can become soggy.
To make cucumber boats, cut the English cucumber lengthwise. Using a melon baller scoop out the center portion and cut the cucumber into smaller boats. Fill it with tabouli salad.
Garnish with crumbled feta, chopped olives, toasted nuts, hemp seeds, cooked chickpeas, soaked barberries or pomegranate kernels.
Notes
Use vegetables that are fresh, flavorful and crisp.
Choose firm but ripe tomatoes that are not too juicy. Drain the juices from the chopped vegetables. Put the rinsed herbs through a salad spinner for a dry feel.
Use high quality extra virgin olive oil.
It is best to use fine bulgur, preferably the dark variety. You don’t need to soak it. Just rinse and let it drain. Fluff it up with a fork. If you use medium or extra coarse, use hot water and soak for half hour or more until the grains swell up well.
I do not recommend the use of food processor to chop your herbs. It may become mushy. Chop all the vegetables finely using a sharp knife.
Pluck out the mint leaves and chop them right before adding it to the salad, as mint can darken quickly.
MAKE AHEAD TABOULI SALAD
Chop well drained parsley and green onions and store loosely packed in a plastic bag or container. Use paper towels as a base.
Finely chopped firm tomatoes can be placed in a sieve and stored in the refrigerator.
Rinse or soak bulgur, drain and store in refrigerator.
VARIATIONS
Gluten free: Use cooked quinoa, millet, amaranth or cauliflower rice instead of bulgur.
Low carb and Grain free: Use cauliflower rice in place of bulgur. Check the instructions for making cauliflower rice.
High Protein:Add some chickpeas, hemp seeds or other cooked beans.