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This Tabbouleh-Inspired Salad Has An Ingredient That May Alleviate Allergies

Author:

Caroline Muggia

May 07, 2019

By Caroline Muggia

mbg Contributor

Caroline Muggia is a writer, environmental advocate, and registered yoga teacher (E-RYT) with a B.A. in Environmental Studies & Psychology from Middlebury College.

Image by Nataša Mandić / Stocksy

May 07, 2019

If you're like us and crave a heartier salad from time to time, you'll be excited to try out this Middle Eastern–inspired tabbouleh from Anna Francese Gass' new cookbook Heirloom Kitchen.

Gass grew up loving her mother's Italian cooking, and after becoming a professional chef, she quickly realized she needed to record her mother's recipes as well as the dishes from immigrant women around the world.

This bulgur and parsley salad recipe was developed by Cherie Jafar, who was born in London but spent a large part of her childhood in Baghdad, Iraq. Her cooking style comes from both parts of her upbringing, and she loves how food brings her family together.

This zesty salad features bulgur, a high-fiber whole grain known to improve digestion and help with weight loss, as well as parsley, an herb celebrated for its anti-inflammatory benefits and potential to help with seasonal allergies (right on time!).

If you're hoping to add another veggie to the mix, Jafar says she also likes to add cucumbers to her salad. She recommends chopping up one cucumber and adding it in with 2 or 3 more tablespoons of lemon juice.

Bulgur & Parsley Salad

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

½ cup bulgur wheat
5 packed cups Italian flat-leaf parsley
½ cup olive oil
⅓ cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 large lemons)
½ teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 large tomatoes, seeded and diced small
6 scallions, chopped fine (white parts and lowest 1 inch of green)

Method

Rinse and drain the bulgur wheat. Place it in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to soften.
While the bulgur rests, pick all the parsley leaves. Wash them thoroughly and place in a salad spinner to completely dry. Chop finely (you will have about 2 cups chopped).
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, and scallions and stir to combine. Season with additional salt to taste.
Cover and refrigerate to further soften the bulgur and let the salad absorb the flavors of the liquids, 1 to 2 hours.