Taboule
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fine bulgar wheat
- 2-3 tomatoes chopped. There should as much copped tomato as chopped parsley.
- 2 green onion finely chopped, sprinkle with cinnamon, set aside
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 12-15 fresh mint leaves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- salt and pepper to taste
- feta cheese optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, soak bulgar in room temperature water, while you prepare the other ingredients. The amount of soaking is personal preference. Some like it hard and some like it soft. If it's your first time making it, aim for al dente. Hand squeeze it to remove excess water when done soaking.
- Mix chopped tomatoes, green onion and parsley, mint, and lemon zest. Add bulgar when ready.
- In a separate bowl, whisk olive oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, salt and pepper and pour over salad. If you don't have pomegranate molasses, then use 3 tbsp lemon juice.
Health Benefits of Taboule
Taboule, also spelled taboli, tabouleh, is a very healthy salad. Here is a breakdown of the ingredients and the health benefits.
Bulgur wheat is parboiled (partially boiled) whole grain wheat. It is available in fine, medium and course grind. Because it is whole grain, it has more fiber than couscous, which is refined. If you don’t eat wheat, then you can substitute quinoa.
Tomatoes are rich in the red pigment lycopene. Lycopene is best known for its protective action against prostate cancer and its healthy vitamin C content.
Parsley is a source of important plant antioxidants – luteolin and apigenin, pigments -lycopene, alpha carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, and vitamins K, C, and A, as well as the B vitamin, folate.
Mint is known as a digestive aid and for soothing an upset stomach or irritable bowel. But the amount in this recipe is not likely to be therapeutic; it just adds a nice cooling mouth feel on a hot day.
Lemon juice is a good source of vitamin C and other important plant nutrients called polyphenols. One of those is hesperidin, which, at one time was known as vitamin P because it preserves capillary blood vessels by making them less leaky. That is why some herbal supplements for venous disease and lymphedema contain hesperidin.
Pomegranate molasses gives a very authentic flavor to the tabouli. Pomegranate molasses is the results of cooking pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice. You get the health benefits of pomegranate in a very tangy syrup.
Extra virgin olive oil is high in the fatty acid called oleic acid, otherwise known as omega-9 fatty acid. Oleic acid is known to be anti-inflammatory. While it is a long-chain fatty acid and would therefore require the lymphatic system for absorption it is none-the-less a heart healthy oil. If you have lymphedema and are reducing the amount of long chain fatty acids in your diet, then you can substitute MCT oil.
My friend Nesreen helped me with this recipe. Not only is she a great cook, she’s an amazing graphic designed. You can check out her work at Nesreen Design.
If you like this recipe, check out these healthy recipes:
