Tabbouleh the most famous salad

The Tabbouleh is one of the best-known Middle Eastern salad recipes in the world. Tabbouleh is a typical dish in Syria, Palencia, Jordan, and Lebanon. Although it is consumed in many more countries. It is a delicious and light salad that is prepared with a large amount of parsley and mint. So the green color and the intense flavor are predominant. There are many similar salads today. Which are prepared with couscous or quinoa bases and are also called Tabbouleh. But the real Tabbouleh is made with Bulgur. Bulgur is a kind of wheat semolina, chopped.

How is the Tabbouleh      prepared?

The authentic Tabbouleh is a mixture of  cooked bulgur, with parsley, mint, tomato, and onion, all finely chopped. In this recipe it is necessary to understand that parsley and mint are not dressings. As they are considered in the West, parsley is a fundamental ingredient and occupies approximately half of the salad.

In the past, wheat was crushed with the help of a stone. The pieces of wheat were cooked over low heat and then left to dry. This helped among other things to preserve the wheat for much longer. Currently, number 3 chopped wheat is available in most refrigerators. The Bulgur is hard to come in many countries, but chopped wheat works perfectly for the recipe.The Tabbouleh is garnished with olive oil and lime juice. Particularly in Palestine, they usually soak wheat in lemon juice. About approximately two hours before preparing the recipe. In this way, the wheat cooks and absorbs all the flavor of the lemon.  

The preparation, in general, is very simple. After "cooking" the wheat in lemon juice you will only need to chop the rest of the ingredients and mix them. The Tabbouleh should consume immediately because the tomato and onion can be decomposed.

Secrets for a good Tabbouleh:

1. You should be generous with the parsley, about half of the salad is curly parsley, finely chopped. Try to use very fresh parsley, and cut it with kitchen scissors, instead of with a knife to prevent it from wilting. This applies to mint too. It is preferable to use only the leaves in both cases.
2. Some people prefer crisp wheat, but this can be unpleasant for many people because wheat tends to be very hard. So it is best to soak the wheat, in a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water. The liquid should cover the wheat, just let it sit for a couple of hours and then drain the excess liquid before adding it to the salad.
3. Good olive oil is essential for the taboule to be delicious.
4. Although it is not the best option. If you don't have lime juice you can use white vinegar. About the onion, the white one works well, but the salad looks much more attractive with the red onion.
5. Serve the tabbouleh immediately after you prepare it, it is much better fresh.
6. We do not add cucumber, although in many Middle Eastern countries they do. If you want to vary the recipe a bit, adding small pieces of cucumber is an extraordinary option.

What to serve with this salad?