It’s January-time for new beginnings and following through on those resolutions. I have a feeling many of yours (including mine) have to do with healthy, clean eating. I’m so excited to share with you one of my all time favorite dishes, my Winter Tabbouleh Salad, which keeps you on your goal of mindful eating without feeling like you are sacrificing anything.
This healthy Lebanese salad is low in calories and full of fiber. Parsley and pomegranate seeds are rich in antioxidants and plays a role in boosting the immune system which is so important during this time of year. This dish works beautifully as a side to fish or any meat, and the leftovers are perfect for your lunch the next day.
Traditionally, tabbouleh is made in the summer using tomatoes, cucumber, plenty of lemon and always, parsley. As someone said, “the song of summer.”
“
While summer vegetables seem to get all the glory, I happen to love winter fruits and vegetables
“
Fennel, cauliflower, pomegranate seeds and parsley provide a variety of textures into this beautiful salad. The key is to chop the vegetables small and uniform in size. An added bonus – the salad can be made several hours in advance, even the day before.
Bulgur wheat is the main component of Tabbouleh. Bulgur comes from cracked whole-grain kernels of wheat that get par boiled and dried before packaging. Because it’s already partially cooked, bulgur wheat is quick and easy to prepare at home. You literally just boil water, pour it over the bulgur, and let it soak to soften. It’s that easy. Next, the bulgar marinates in a dressing that is traditionally made with lemon juice. I use pomegranate molasses, which is tart yet sweet, and can be found in any middle eastern market or even easier, ordered here. I keep this as a staple in my pantry and use it in a myriad of ways, including adding to olive oil as a dip for bread.
If you are gluten-free, swap the bulgur for quinoa. It’s just as delicious. Be sure and get the bulgur and pomegranate molasses ahead of time so you are not running around to 5 different markets (which seems to be the story of my life).
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6-8 as a side dish
-
3/4 cup bulgur, fine or medium
-
1 T olive oil
-
1 1/4 cups boiling water
-
1/2 cup chopped parsley
-
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
-
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
-
1 cup chopped fennel
-
1 cup chopped cauliflower
-
3/4 cup olive oil
-
2 T pomegranate molasses
-
1 t apple cider vinegar
-
1 t honey 1 garlic clove minced
-
salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Rinse bulgur and place in a heatproof bowl. Boil water and pour over bulgur. Mix in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Drain the bulgur in a sieve and press on the solids to remove any excess water. Put back in a serving bowl.
- Add vegetables.
- Make dressing. In a separate bowl whisk the pomegranate molasses, vinegar, honey and garlic together. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Toss in the bowl of bulgur. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cannot wait to try it. Thanks Polly Ruth!
It’s looks delicious, Polly! Glad your site is up and running again!!
Thank you Fran!
Let me know how you like it Crystal!
I love all of your recipes. Thank-you for making them fairly simple and not too time consuming.
Thank you so much Carney!
I made this exactly as written and it is delicious! I especially love the walnuts and the pomegranate seeds. I wasn’t sure what raw cauliflower and raw fennel would taste like in a salad but they do soften a bit and they add a nice texture without any strong flavor. It is an unusual dish and really good. One day when we socialize again, I will be sure to make this for friends.