Key tips on how to avoid making your tabbouleh salad soggy

Tabbouleh is a signature Levantine salad made of bulgur, parsley, tomato, and onion steeped in a penetrating mint and lemon dressing.

We started by salting the tomatoes to rid them of excess moisture that otherwise made our salad soggy. Soaking the bulgur in lemon juice and some of the drained tomato liquid, rather than in water, allowed it to absorb lots of flavour as it softened. TABBOULEH

Servings: 4-6

Start to finish: 2 hours, 30 minutes

3 tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup medium-grind bulgur, rinsed

1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups minced fresh parsley

1/2 cup minced fresh mint 2 scallions, sliced thin Toss tomatoes with 1/4 teaspoon salt in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl and let drain, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes; reserve 2 tablespoons drained tomato juice. Toss bulgur with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and reserved tomato juice in bowl and let sit until grains begin to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oil, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add tomatoes, bulgur, parsley, mint, and scallions and toss gently to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature until flavours have blended and bulgur is tender, about 1 hour. Before serving, toss salad to recombine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition information per serving: 194 calories; 131 calories from fat; 15 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 17 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 3 g protein.

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