The weather is starting to warm up around here... and it's almost like summer already. If you know me at all you know I'm not very happy about that. My perfect temperature is about 65 degrees F. Yes, that's cold... just like I like it!
Because of that slightly odd peculiarity about this California native... I am already making cool salads to enjoy for the early onset summer.
And yes, I'm cheating slightly on this recipe... (using a boxed mix which includes dried herbs) instead of buying several bunches of fresh herbs.
And below you'll see what bulgur wheat looks like (right out of the box)...
It's rather small... put it in a bowl and follow the instructions on the box. Quick run through of those instructions: add wheat and seasoning packet in a heat-safe bowl and pour 1 cup of boiling water over the top. Stir briefly and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes...
While that steeps, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Starting with olive oil...
Lemon juice...
and give it a quick whisk...
Let's get to chopping... cucumber first...
Cherry tomatoes (rather "grape tomatoes" in this instance)...
When your 30 minutes are up fluff the wheat with the tines of a fork. This prevents the small clumps of wheat from sticking together too much and makes it light and fluffy. A spoon won't work, a spatula won't work... just trust me on this one and put that fork to use...
While the bulgur wheat is still somewhat warm add the olive oil/lemon juice and stir slowly until all the liquid is absorbed.
And this is where it all starts to come together rather quickly.
But first do me a favor... pretend that I already told you about the green onion, ok?
And now that that's behind us...
Let's start piling it all on...
And the last and most important ingredient... some REALLY great feta cheese. Chop it up rather small... a little smaller than the cucumber/tomato pieces.
Another quick toss...
And a nice little plate... where did that fork go?!
Enjoy this quick and easy salad this summer... and this salad is great stuffed in a pita!
Taboule Salad
Recipe courtesy Lori Tisdale
Ingredients
1 box Near East Taboule, prepared according to directions on box
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (approx 2 lemons)
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup green onions, minced
1 hothouse cucumber, halved and sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
¾ pound feta cheese
Instructions
Prepare taboule according to package instructions. As soon as the rice is done fluff with a fork and add lemon juice, olive oil and pepper. Fluff again with a fork and allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour. Add green onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and pepper to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. Fluff again before serving.
If it’s dry, drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the top. Serve with shards of feta on top or stuffed into a pita.
enjoy your time in the kitchen...
That looks a lot yummier than the last time I made it. I took it to a potluck and it did not look appetizing though it tasted great! I had chopped fresh parsley and tomatoes. The whole little tomatoes and chopped cukes add nice color and texture;feta makes everything taste great. I'm hungry!
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