This nourishing bulgur-wheat salad provides a satisfying way of using up some of the huge bunch of parsley that the supermarket foisted on you. If it’s wintertime and you don’t have access to fresh mint, use 1/2 teaspoon dried mint and stir it into the still-warm bulgur after you’ve drained it, so the mint will have a chance to expand and release its flavor.

Ingredients

　　1/3 cup bulgur wheat

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint (see headnote)

　　Freshly ground pepper

　　1 small-to-medium sweet ripe tomato, chopped

　　2 or 3 scallions, chopped

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Dressing

　　1/4 cup olive oil

　　Large pinch of salt

Garnish

　　Bring 2/3 cup water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Toss the bulgur in a bowl, and pour the boiling water over it. Cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain the bulgur, pressing it in the strainer to extract the water. If you’re using dried mint, stir it into the warm bulgur now. After 30 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and add the tomato, scallions, parsley, and fresh mint, if using. Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil together in a small bowl, and add salt to taste. Pour the dressing over the tabbouleh, and toss everything together. Spoon onto a salad plate, and surround with purslane, if you can find it, or other leaves.

　　The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones. Copyright © 2009 by Judith Jones. Published by Knopf. All Rights Reserved.Judith Jones is senior editor and vice president at Alfred A. Knopf. She is the author of The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food and the coauthor with Evan Jones (her late husband) of three books: The Book of Bread; Knead It, Punch It, Bake It!; and The Book of New New England Cookery. She also collaborated with Angus Cameron on The L. L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook, and has contributed to Vogue, Saveur, and Gourmet magazines. In 2006, she was awarded the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in New York City and Vermont.