As a kid I remember parsley being this little green sprig I picked off my food before eating.  The one exception was during Passover (a Jewish holiday commemorating the escape from slavery), when large plates were heaped with this twig, passed around the table to dip in salt water, and then eaten.  I loved it.  That was pretty much my relationship with this lovely little green.  I didn’t even like Tabouli, whose main ingredient is parsley, though I think that was more about the bulgur wheat which didn’t appeal to me.

So what is Tabouli anyway?  If you are from New York City you probably have heard of Rays Pizza, or Original Rays Pizza, or Rays Original Pizza.  They all claim to be THE original pizza source.  Looking at Tabouli recipes you will find the same types of claims of originality hailing from throughout the Middle East and Turkey.  They all have variations in the recipes as well as how the name of the dish is spelled – Tabbouleh, Tabouli, Tabouleh.  All will agree that parsley reigns dominant in this salad yet some recipes are more timid about this than others.

Parsley is an amazing green and is what makes this a superbly rich dish; not only in flavor but in nutrients.  Related to celery and carrots, parsley supports our digestive health from ingestion to excretion.   Rich in anti-oxidants and volatile oils, it cleans the blood, helps the body detoxify, is high in fiber, and is a natural diuretic when drunk as a tea.  For more of my thoughts on parsley watch Green Morning Mocktails.

In my version of Tabouli, with more than three cups, parsley is the real star and forms the base for this salad.  The remaining ingredients - mint, tomatoes, and cucumber, dressed in rich olive oil and fresh lemon juice - are the accents and don’t stray from my understanding of their authenticity.  Where I have taken liberties is with the grain.  Traditionally, so they say, Tabouli is made with bulgur wheat or often substituted with the less hardy couscous.  I am gluten-free and like a variety of options to use as replacements. These include French green or black lentils, millet, sorghum (to emulate the larger-grain Israeli couscous), and quinoa (shown here).    When all the ingredients are fused together they become a refreshingly delectable and nourishing salad to have for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any time in between.

RECIPE

Ingredients

• ½ cup dry quinoa – or any of the above mentioned replacements
• ¹/₃ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice from 2 lemons
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• Salt (I prefer sea or Himalayan) and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 big bunches of flat parsley with bottom stems trimmed (about 3 to 31/2 cups chopped)
• 1 Persian cucumber diced
• 2 very firm Roma tomatoes
• 2 thinly sliced scallions
• ½ cup fresh chopped mint

Preparations

• Cook quinoa according to package directions
• While the quinoa is cooking, in a large serving bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic
• Mix the cooked quinoa into the lemon dressing
• Coarsely chop the parsley and add to the quinoa. If you only have a small cutting board do this in batches.  You may be tempted to use a food processor to chop the parsley.  While cutting by hand takes more time (not a lot) the leaves won’t get too small and mushy – not the effect you want for this salad.
• Add in the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Serving suggestion – Make a Tabouli wrap using a mustard, romaine, other dark lettuce leaf, and put in a couple of spoonful’s of the salad.  Then fold over two sides and roll up for a great alternative to eating with a spoon or fork.

©2021 Jo Bakal | Tezoona Wellness,  LLC | Parvelicious