LAist in the Kitchen: Tabbouleh Salad

Lindsay William-Ross/LAist

This recipe from Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa really takes advantage of the flavors of summer and is an easy dish to make early in the day to bring to any of the afternoon BBQs you've got on your calendar or put in a Hollywood Bowl picnic. Ingredients like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mint, and fresh parsley are what you'll find in abundance at your favorite farmers' market, or perhaps in your own backyard garden, and the main grain--bulgur wheat--is a bargain out of the bulk bins at your nearest Whole Foods or the like (we paid 91 cents for the one cup the recipe called for).

Recipe after the jump.

Tabbouleh Salad
via Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa FoodTV

1 cup bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 med. lemons)
1/4 cup olive oil
Kosher Salt
1 cup minced scallions, white & green parts (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place the bulgur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season to taste and serve, or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Serves 8. (Garten serves hers stuffed in pita pockets with a wedge of Feta cheese, which makes it all the more portable)