Present Tense

Tabbouleh is a bulgur wheat salad that doesn’t take too long, tastes great on pita, and gets even better if you let it stand overnight.

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup bulgur
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Steps:

1. Combine the bulgur, water, lemon juice and olive oil. Mix well and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. Eventually the bulgur soaks up the juice, but this can take longer if the bulgur was in the freezer. Let the bulgur soften up. Fluff with a fork.
2. While the bulgur is soaking up the oil, I combine the mint, parsley, red onion, garlic, pepper, and salt in a second bowl. When the bulgur is ready, combine both bowls and toss with a fork.
3. Add the tomatoes and cucumber and toss again. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and allow to stand, loosely covered, for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to come out.