Recipe: Tabbouleh (using cracked wheat/bulgur)

TABBOULEH

2 cups boiling water
2 cups cracked wheat or fine bulgur
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium cucumber, diced (1 cup)
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon dried mint leaves or 2 Tablespoons fresh mint
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Teaspoon salt

In large bowl, pour boiling water over cracked wheat; let stand 1 hour or until softened and most of liquid is absorbed.

Drain well; return to bowl. Add tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, onions and mint; mix well.

In small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil and salt; blend well. Stir into wheat mixture. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to blend flavors

Makes 8 servings

Tip:
One to 2 cups cubed cooked beef can be added for a main dish salad.

A note on bulgur:
Tabbouleh is made with bulgur which is cracked partially-cooked what. Processing takes only a small part of the bran so bulgur is nutritionally identical to whole wheat. This means it contains dietary fiber, protein, iron, potassium and B vitamins. Bulgur has a high fiber content, chewy texture and nutty flavor. A common way to cook bulgur is to use a 2-1 ratio of liquid, either stock or water, to the dry grain. Bring liquid to a boil in saucepan. Stir in bulgur; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 20 minutes or until bulgur absorbs the liquid. Look for bulgur in the bulk foods section or next to rice in the supermarket.

Source: the Pillsbury Classic Cookbook, Fast Fresh Meals.