Recipe: Tabbouleh with Edamame

I can still remember the very first time I ate tabbouleh. It was 1999, and I was on spring break, at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Pretty specific, huh?! I loved it immediately and have been eating every since. It’s also The Hubs’ favorite salad, because it involves no lettuce! The main leafy green in tabbouleh is parsley (and sometimes mint), and the feature ingredient (the thing that makes it tabbouleh) is bulgur wheat.

What’s bulgur wheat? It’s a form of cracked wheat, often made from durum wheat. I’ve seen it in two forms: a dark brown version with most of the bran in tact, which is my preferred type, but you can also find a more golden variety that has more of the bran removed, which is the kind I used here.

Another key ingredient here is powdered sumac.  No, the sumac you’ll find in a spice jar is not the same as poison sumac. TheKitchn explains it best:

The sumac bush, native to the Middle East, produces deep red berries, which are dried and ground into coarse powder. While it’s less common, the berries may also be sold whole. Ground sumac is a versatile spice with a tangy lemony flavor, although more balanced and less tart than lemon juice. A small sprinkle also adds a beautiful pop of color to any dish.

So with these few simple ingredients you can make:

Tabbouleh with Edamame

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 English Cucumber, seeded and diced small
• 1 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced small
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp. ground sumac
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 package frozen shelled edamame

Directions

In a medium bowl, place dry bulgur. Pour boiling water on bulgur cover and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine soaked bulgur, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and sumac. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare frozen edamame according to package directions, drain. Toss with the salad and serve.

Serves four.

228 calories * 9 grams fat * 33 grams carbs * 11 grams protein 

I had mine on a lavash bread as a wrap!

There are numerous variations of tabbouleh, so you can spruce it up anyway you like!

Do you like tabbouleh? Let me know in the comments!