Tabbouleh

So now that my Barefoot Contessa cookbook collection is complete (minus my pre-order of Back to Basics) and that my time has started to free up post-summer, I’ve been digging through Ina’s books for new recipes. I wasn’t really in search of anything specific when I came across Chicken with Tabbouleh in Barefoot Contessa Parties! but I did have some late-season tomatoes that needed to be used up before going to rot on my kitchen windowsill. And being that I’d never actually eaten tabbouleh before, I figured this would be a great new try for me.

Bulgur wheat is not an easy find the regular grocery store (at least not for me) but I did find it in Whole Foods and other than that, everything else in the recipe is easily accessible. The recipe requires a bit of chopping but no cooking at all. You boil some water, pour it over the bulgur wheat, and let it sit for an hour…which was just the amount of time I needed to get showered and dressed for work the morning I made it. It really is such a simple recipe to put together and so worth the little effort it takes. I loved this dish so much and next time will pair it with some of my favorite roasted red pepper hummus in a homemade pita…which I’ll be attempting this weekend.

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Chicken with Tabbouleh

source: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (2 bunches)
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and medium-diced
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1. In a heat-proof bowl, pour the boiling water over the bulgur wheat. Add the lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the bulgur to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
2. Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Season, to taste, and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. The flavors will improve as it sits.

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