Along with hummus, tabbouleh (tabouli) is perhaps the best-known Lebanese dish outside the Middle East. It was certainly part of my introduction to Lebanese food and I remember my sister’s mother-in-law – Teta as everyone called her – making it in huge metal bowls on her kitchen table. Naturally recipes and ratios vary from family to family, though it’s important to remember that it is a parsley salad – so no coriander and not too much burghul. If you like a salad that’s more burghul-heavy, you want the Turkish version, called kisir. Some people like their tabbouleh more heavily dressed than others, so double the dressing if you like, just remember that a drier salad keeps better and you can always add more dressing to brighten it up before serving. In Lebanon tabbouli is often served with small cos lettuce leaves to spoon it into.
Serves 4–6 as a side dish
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