Tabouli

Serves 4-6
Vegan

When I was getting my undergrad at ASU, I worked at a Mediterranean / Middle Eastern restaurant near campus called Pita Jungle. The Jungle is notorious for hot, yet detached hipster-queen waitresses, creepy old men that hit on them, customers who are willing to trade passable table service for a glazed chicken pizza, and above all else, exceptionally good food. Among the menu items was some of the best tabouli I have ever had (tabouli in Israel taking the top, of course). Here is my version, which is perfect for a refreshing summertime treat.

1 ½ cups of bulgar wheat (aka “cracked wheat”)
3 cups of your favorite vegetable stock
salt & pepper
dried thyme
2 bunches of fresh, flat-leaf parsley
a big handful of fresh mint
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 yellow or purple onion, diced
1 cucumber
the zest and juice of 3-4 lemons
lots of olive oil

Cook the bulgar wheat according to package directions, but instead of using water, use the same amount of veggie stock. Also, throw in some salt, pepper, and a few big pinches of thyme.

While the bulgar wheat cooks, chop up your parsley and the mint and add it to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and the onion.

Slice your cucumber in half, lengthwise. Scoop out all of the seeds from the middle with a spoon (the point of doing this is to reduce the amount of liquid that comes out from the cucumbers). Dice the cucumber and add it to the bowl.

Once the bulgar is done cooking, add it to the bowl. Add the zest and juice from all of the lemons. Re-season everything with plenty of salt and pepper. Mix.

Pour on the olive oil. The amount really depends on you. If you like things really lemony, add just a few splashes. If you want more of a balance, add more (I know that the Pita Jungle version uses about a half and half ratio... and possibly more olive oil than lemon juice). Just make sure to keep mixing, tasting, and seasoning with salt and pepper until you like the way this tastes.

For a complete meal, try throwing in a can of garbanzo beans, or top the whole thing with the Best Tofu EVER. For a party, try serving the tabouli alongside some hummus, a bowl of olives, sliced pita, falafel balls (order it from a restaurant… making your own is pretty time-consuming) and fresh veggies.