Tabouleh: Wheat and Herb Salad

Tabbouleh, also spelled tabouleh or tabouli, is a traditional Levantine salad that is commonly served as part of a mezze, or appetizer spread, in the Middle East. Levantine, a historical term, refers to a large area in the eastern Mediterranean which would include all the countries along the eastern coastline of the Mediterranean from Greece to Libya. Many of them have a great shared culinary history and tradition. The region is considered the western counterpart to the Maghreb.

Tabbouleh is a vegetarian dish made with fresh vegetables, bulghur wheat, olive oil, and spices. Basically, a hearty grain salad and perhaps one of the most distinctive dishes of the region. The dish can be eaten inside the pocket of pita bread, scooped onto toasted pita bread, or eaten traditionally with a fork. In the Middle East, tabbouleh is commonly eaten with fresh grape leaves used as a scoop.

While the traditional recipe begins with chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and onion, tabbouleh can be revamped and made with any variety of vegetables according to your own taste. You can add carrots, cucumbers, or red and green onions. It's best to taste as you go, seasoning with each ingredient addition during the preparation so that you get a well seasoned and balanced final dish. You can turn this into a heartier dish, great for lunch, by adding a bed of romaine lettuce or stirring in baby spinach leaves.