Tabouleh (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

One of my favorite summer salads is tabouleh (sometimes spelled tabbouli). This Middle Eastern dish originated in the hills of Syria and Lebanon. There, the main ingredient, parsley, grew wild. The word derives from an Arabic word, (tabbula) meaning to spice or season. The first Saturday in July is Tabbouleh Day in Lebanon.

In America, we think of tabbouleh as a bulgur grain salad. Traditionally, however, the main ingredient is parsley, not bulgur wheat. Tomatoes, which are now part of this salad, are a later addition; they arrived later from the New World.

Lebanese tabbouleh is primarily parsley flecked with little bits of bulgur wheat dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon. Chopping fresh parsley is time consuming but it is rhythmic and soothing, with the fresh scent of parsley permeating the air. This green herb gives it lots of fiber, vitamins and other nutrients.

Tabouleh spread throughout the Middle East, so there are regional variations. In Turkey, for example, tabbouleh is more of a bulghur salad than a parsley salad.

Today, there are even more variations. Many cooks use quinoa or couscous in place of bulghur wheat. Quinoa has a higher protein content and no gluten. Finely chopped cauliflower can also be substituted for the wheat, or use lettuce and parsley for a leafy version.

Tabouleh is a very healthy salad. Parsley is loaded with antioxidants, flavonoids, essential oils, vitamins A, C, K and folic acid. Compounds in parsley help clear toxins from the body, reduce inflammation, and act as antihistamines. Apiol, one of parley’s volatile oils, is used in modern medicines to treat kidney ailments, including kidney stones. Other volatile oils inhibit certain carcinogens. The other herb in tabouleh, mint, is well known for soothing the stomach and digestive tract. Onions help lower blood pressure and contain lots of vitamins and antioxidants.

Bulghur wheat is a whole grain with good chew that makes it more filling. It contains ample fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Olive oil decreases risk of colon cancer, breast cancer and heart disease. Lemons and tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C as well as other important nutrients. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and in the antioxidant lycopene, which is known to reduce the risk of macular degeneration, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. They also provide fiber, vitamins A and B, potassium, iron and phosphorus.

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Tabouleh

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There are many variations on this Lebanese dish. Here is mine.

Ingredients:

1/2 to 1 cup bulgur wheat

3 cups water (to cover)

2 cups chopped fresh parsley, 2 bunches. Note: For Lebanese tabbouleh, use 5 cups parsley.

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts

1 clove garlic (some recipes omit the garlic, but I like it)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil or more (up to 1 cup in some recipes)

2 limes or 1 lime and one lemon (about 1/3 cup juice) (I have seen recipes with up to 4 lemons)

2 large vine-ripened tomatoes

1 cucumber, chopped, optional

Crumbled feta and chopped olives for garnish, optional

Directions:

Pour 2-3 cups boiling water over the bulgur and stir. Let stand for 2-4 hours, or until bulgur is fluffy. Drain excess water using a cheesecloth or fine sieve. Transfer to a large bowl.

Wash and chop the parsley, mint and scallions as thin as you can. Place in the salad bowl.

To chop parsley: Using a very sharp knife, gather the leaves together and press against a cutting board. Holding the stems and leaves with one hand, use the knife in your other hand to slice the leaves very thin. Avoid over-chopping as it will bruise the leaves. Place chopped leaves in a bowl and store in refrigerator up to 1 day, until ready to use.

Crush the garlic (I use a microplane) and stir into the salad. Stir in the salt, olive oil, and squeeze the juice from the limes and stir in. Stir in the prepared bulghur. Dice the tomatoes, and stir in. Serve cold, on greens or in pita, garnished with pine nuts of feta cheese if desired.

Serves 6.

Notes: For cauliflower tabbouleh, I used small heads of cauliflower from the farmers market; you can use white, green, yellow or purple cauliflower.

To prepare cauliflower couscous, cut into quarters and remove the inner core. Break into florets with your hands. If the core is tender, you can cut it into pieces and use it too.

Place in a food chopper or food processor in batches. Process until it is broken down into small granules. Remove to a bowl. If there are large pieces, place them back into the food processor and repeat.

I had fresh tender cauliflower so I did not cook it. To soften it farther, however, you can add a little olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cauliflower, season with salt, cover and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Mix with parley, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and lemon as in the above recipe.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Twitter: @yvonawrites.