Tabbouleh, the well-known salad that uses bulgur as its base (usually; there’s also a rice version, which I’ve included as a variation), should be dominated by its herbs, mostly parsley but also mint. You can prepare the bulgur ahead of time and toss in the herbs right before serving.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2/3 cup fine (#1) or medium (#2) bulgur

　　1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 cups roughly chopped fresh parsley, leaves and small stems only

　　1 cup roughly chopped fresh mint leaves

　　1/2 cup chopped scallion

　　4 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

　　

Step 1

Soak the bulgur in hot water to cover until tender, 15 to 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.) Drain the bulgur well, squeezing out as much of the water as possible. Toss the bulgur with the oil and lemon juice and season to taste.

　　

Step 2

Just before you’re ready to eat, add all the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Taste, adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve.

　　

Tabbouleh with Rice

Step 3

You can make this in 10 minutes if you have leftover rice; basmati (page 505) is best. Simply substitute 2 cups cooked rice for the bulgur; since rice is more starchy than bulgur, it may require a little more olive oil and lemon juice.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.