Tabouli-boola....tabouli-boola!

Rah! Rah! Siss Boom Bah! I. Heart. TABOULI!

Tabouli: Tabbouleh is an Arabian vegetarian dish traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Some variations add garlic or lettuce, or use couscous instead of bulgur.

 

I'm always up for trying new foodie-type things. I'll try just about anything...except bugs. I figure, (so far, anyway) there's enough great food in the world. Bugs are for Armageddon-type emergencies.

Anywho, a couple years ago, I was at One World (I can't get the damn link to work...google it, if you're that interested) in Peoria and decided to try an order of tabouli with my burger. Annnnd, I was hooked.

 

Of course, I came home and looked up the recipe and made it. Once. It's a real PITA to make...all that chopping. But on one of my rare trips to WalMart, I found  a mix that's aahhhhmazingly easy and GOOD, not to mention that it's...dare I say it? Healthy!

It's in their "international" food aisle...which is about 2 feet long. The last time I was there, I bought three boxes, because of course, now that I know they have it and will buy it frequently, they'll soon discontinue it. BUT....you can get it on Amazon, too! Ya hafta buy 6 boxes at a time, which is ok with me, but if you try it and don't like it, you've got 5 more boxes...that I'll gladly take off your hands! heh The mix calls for 1.5 C of cold water, 1/4 C lime or lemon juice (I use lime in the little lime-shaped bottle or fresh) and 1/4 C olive oil, but I like to add more of each. I think it's a little too dry with just what it calls for. Then you just let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so, salt and pepper to taste and BOOM! Done.

Now, I know it won't be for everyone. It has the consistency of...oh....coarse sand? Without the grit. But if you like tart, slightly herby-tasting coarse, ungritty sand, you'll love this. It's filling, has practically no fat, no cholesterol, reasonable carbs and fiber. LOTS of fiber. Trust me on this one. Ya might wanna skip your Metamucil on the day you try it.

 

It's good by itself, but I've added sliced grape tomatoes and chopped cukes...that's good. And I've added a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas or garbanzo beans for a little extra protein. That's good, too.

Probably green onions or scallions would be great....maybe some chopped carrots. Use your imagination. You could probably even make it a main-dish type salad by grilling a couple chicken breasts and chopping them up in it. 

Go ahead...try it!