The Global Table, Week 2: How Tabbouleh Treats the Whole Self

This minty dish offers as great
a variety of nutrients as colors.
Image Credit: Jules

My Tabbouleh Epiphany

I first encountered tabbouleh in vegetarian cookbooks and health food stores. Neither of these sources did justice to this aromatic, holistic dish.  Fortunately, Fatima* opened my eyes to its benefits.

An array of ingredients as colorful as Christmas surrounded her as she assembled this treat for the class. Fatima performed every step with perfect confidence, despite doubts about her English. She extolled the virtues of every ingredient she added.

"The olive oil nourishes our skin...the tomatoes give us Vitamin C," she raved.  Her enthusiasm spread with the aromas of parsley, onions, and mint pervading the classroom. Free samples of the finished product convinced even skeptics how scrumptious it was.

The epiphany dawned upon me as I savored my tabbouleh. I could not only make it at home; I could customize the dish to my tastes, adding garbanzo beans and extra mint.  Partakers could select either scoop the dish with pita pockets or roll it up in long lettuces leaves.

I began bringing this sumptuous salads to potluck parties. The kaleidoscopic colors attracted non-Middle Easterners to try it; the familiarity of home drew Arabs to take some.  Either way, I went home with an empty platter.

* I have changed the student's lady's name to protect her privacy, but the story is true.

Treating Mind and Body 

Let food by your medicine, and medicine by your food.   Hippocrates

Tabbouleh complement both vegetarian
and meat entrees beautifully.
Image Credit: Charles Haynes

Fatima's endorsement of tabbouleh also struck a chord with me as I sought to nourish my body, mind, and soul. Countless nutrition studies confirmed the value of folic acid, whole grains, proteins from legumes, and anti-inflammatory foods in general. Websites about the health benefits of tabbouleh or the nutrients in key ingredient offer more detailed information.

Somehow, the very chopping, seasoning, and mixing of tabbouleh set my mind at ease.  With every step, an inexplicable blend of serenity and spunk flowed through my veins. Eating the dish revived this calm confidence, as if digesting tabbouleh unlocked memories of its preparation.

Some Native Americans claim that  memories seal themselves into the food we prepare; as we eat these foods, the memories come back into mind.  I believe this process partly explains my fascination with tabbouleh.  However, the calming ritual of preparation and guiltless anticipation of relishing the dish add to the pleasure principle.

I will share my own recipe shortly, but it only represents the ingredients and sequence that lead to my best results.  I will include other common options as I can.  Also, please feel free to delve into the wealth of tabbouleh recipes to find one that suits your tastes.  Experiment and make it your own, and please, share it with our community.  Share the wealth of motherwit.

Finely chopped ingredients ensure a
satisfying blend of colors, tastes,
and nutrition.
Image Credit: mother AWESOME

Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or 1 teaspoon regular salt)
1 cup chopped green onions (tops and bottoms)
1 cup chopped parsley (curly or flat according to taste)
1/4 - 1/3 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans (optional but nutritious)
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup cucumber, finely chopped
1 head romaine lettuce, washed, chilled and pulled into leaves
AND/OR 1 package whole wheat pita pockets
black olives to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Chop the vegetables and herbs finely so that they will mix well.  A fine mixture blends flavors and fits more easily into pita pockets or lettuce leaves later.

2. Bring bulgur and water to a boil in a covered pan. Lower heat and simmer covered until the bulgur absorbs the liquid (about 5 minutes).  Fluff with a fork.  An alternative method lets you soak bulgur for an hour, but I prefer the former method to keep a slightly crunchy texture.

3. Put bulgur into a mixing bowl.  Mix in the olive oil, lemon juice, allspice, and salt.  Let it cool

4. Add onions, mint, parsley, garbanzos, and onions. Mix together lightly. Chill in a covered container at least one hour for best results.

5. Serve in the middle of a platter, surrounded with lettuce leaves and/or pita pockets.  Roll lettuce leaves around the tabbouleh like a burrito or scoop the tabbouleh into pockets.  Enjoy!

Tabbouleh usually keeps well in the refrigerator for a week to ten days.  These ingredients generally break down after this length of time, but tabbouleh rarely lasts long enough at my house to scientifically test this hypothesis.









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