Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad 🇱🇧

When I arrived to live in Perth forty years ago, multiculturalism was relatively new in the country's political landscape. Thai food was a novelty and bottled soy sauce can be bought in just a handful of Asian grocery stores.  I found work with an agency as a 'casual ethnic worker', going around child care centres helping migrant children settle in.  Among the pool of workers from diverse background, I met a Lebanese lady who showed me how to make Tabbouleh.  Forty years later as I conclude my career in the children's services sector, Perth is a different place, but I still make this lovely salad featuring parsley, fresh herbs, tomatoes and bulgur wheat.  Easy to make other than a bit of chopping involved.  Traditionally,  you eat it wrapped in lettuce leaves.  I like it as a side salad for meat dishes.  Let the freshness of chopped parsley and the nuttiness of bulgur wheat dance around your mouth and celebrate diversity!

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fine bulgur wheat
• 1 large bunch curly leaf parsley (about 3 packed cups)
• 2 firm tomatoes, finely chopped with liquid drained off
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
• cos lettuce leaves, to serve (optional)
• lemon wedges, for garnishing (optional)

METHOD

1. Wash parsley by dunking and shaking it in a large bowl of cold water to remove any grit. Drain and shake off as much water as you can.  Leave it to air dry on top of a clean towel. (Ideally, you then place parsley wrapped in paper towels in a plastic bag overnight in the fridge so it is bone dry, crisp and plump before use.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well combined. Stir in the bulgur wheat.  Let the grains soak up the dressing and soften a little, about 20 minutes.
3. Remove and discard any tough parsley stems.  With a large chef's knife, roughly chop over the pile of leaves, then keep chopping back and forth until they are quite fine. (Refrain from using a food processor as the texture won't be as nice.)  
4. Add the chopped parsley, tomatoes, spring onions and mint to the bowl with the bulgur mix. Toss to combine.
5. Serve chilled from the fridge, with lettuce leaves or on its own.  Garnish with lemon wedges (optional).