Proper Parsley-Heavy Tabbouleh

⏱ 35 min · Serves 4

This is tabbouleh as it should be: a mountain of finely chopped parsley and mint, with just enough fine bulgur to soak up the lemon and olive oil. Bright, herby and endlessly refreshing alongside grilled meats or scooped up with flatbread.

Per serving: 275 kcal · 4.5g protein · 19.0g carbs · 21.0g fat

Ingredients

• 50g fine bulgur wheat (#1 grade)
• 3 large bunches flat-leaf parsley (about 200g), thick stalks removed
• 1 large bunch mint (about 40g), leaves only
• 4 ripe tomatoes (about 400g), deseeded and finely diced
• 4 spring onions, very finely sliced
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 80ml)
• 80ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Little Gem lettuce leaves and warm flatbread, to serve

Method

1. Rinse the bulgur in a sieve under cold water, then tip into a bowl. Add the diced tomatoes and their juices, stir, and leave for 15 minutes - the bulgur will soften in the tomato juice and lemon later, no boiling needed.
2. Meanwhile, wash the parsley and mint and dry them thoroughly (wet herbs bruise and go slimy when chopped).
3. Gather the parsley into a tight bundle and slice very finely with a sharp knife, working through the pile a couple of times. Do the same with the mint leaves. Avoid a food processor, which turns herbs to mush.
4. Add the parsley, mint and spring onions to the bulgur and tomatoes.
5. Pour over the lemon juice and olive oil, then add the salt, allspice and black pepper. Toss gently with your hands or two forks until everything is evenly coated.
6. Rest for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust with more lemon or salt - it should be sharp and lively. Serve piled in a bowl with lettuce leaves for scooping and warm flatbread alongside.