tangy mint and parsley salad with chickpeas and Israeli couscous
Tabouli is such a delicious salad. Its combination of mint and parsley along with its vibrant acidity from lemon juice lend it an unforgettable flavor, which, to me, scream of summer. Traditionally, this Middle Eastern salad contains bulgur wheat as a base with finely chopped herbs and vegetables mixed in. However, I personally like to put a bit of a spin on the traditional form with this version.
I was inspired to make this salad by all the mint running rampant in our yard recently. In a futile attempt to control it, I supposed I could harvest some and use it in cooking. I decided that day to stray from the recipe my mom had made growing up. For one, I didn’t have bulgur wheat on hand, but for another, I wanted to craft something could stand alone for a light summer meal. The recipe below was the result.
The main differences from a traditional tabouli lie in the base for the salad. I use a combination of chickpeas and Israeli couscous in substitution for the bulgur wheat. In addition, I only roughly chopped my vegetables to give a better visual variety within the dish.
Preparation of this dish is simple and easy. Cook the couscous, chop the vegetables, mix the dressing and combine.
This recipe can stand on its own for a light supper, which is the kind I find myself craving on these hot summer nights, but it can also be served as a side along with warm flatbread, grilled chicken, fish , or lamb for a wonderful dinner.
I hope you enjoy!
– The Recipe –
Tabitha’s Tabouli
prep time:5 min
total time:15 min
makes: 10, 1 cup servings
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 cucumber (quartered and diced)
- 1 c Israeli couscous
- 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas
- 1/4 c minced chives (or green onion)
- 1/4 c minced mint
- 1/3 c minced parsley
- 1 c finely chopped lettuce
Dressing
- 1/3 c olive oil
- 2 tbsp and 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp corriander
- 1 dash of cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
Directions
- Bring salted water (around 4 c water and 1 tsp salt) on the stove to boil.
- While the water is heating, chop the vegetables and herbs the vegetables.
- Add the couscous to the boiling water and cook until soft (approximately 7-9 minutes)
- While the couscous cooks, whisk the dressing ingredients together.
- Drain the couscous and rinse under cold water.
- Mix all the salad ingredients together and toss with the dressing.
- Serve on its own or with grilled flatbread or meat.
Apricity 