Here, the bones of my mother’s tabbouleh are intact, but I’ve switched up a few of the ingredients, using fresh orange juice and lime in place of the lemon, substituting cilantro for the parsley, and adding grilled shrimp to the mix to make it more of a meal. Friends: this meal is so summery! It has been hot (finally!) here in Upstate New York, and I am finding tabbouleh alongside anything coming off the grill to be doing just the job. I hope you do, too.
Tabbouleh Tips:
Here’s the play-by-play: Find extra-coarse bulgur if you can: Soak 1 cup of bulgur in cold water for 1-2 hours. Drain the bulgur. Gather your vegetables and … …chop them. Combine the bulgur with the vegetables, herbs, olive oil, and fresh citrus. If adding shrimp, prep them by removing their peels while keeping their tails intact. Butterfly them, if you wish. Grill the shrimp for about 3-5 minutes over hot coals. Toss the shrimp with the tabbouleh. Serve. 5 from 7 reviews Use the recipe as a guide: Typically I use lemon with tabbouleh, but I was looking for a change, and I thought orange and lime sounded nice with the addition of grilled shrimp. Other ideas that might be nice here: a minced jalapeño or other bell pepper, avocado, raw corn … so many things. Bulgur: If you have never tried extra-coarse bulgur, I encourage you to make the effort to get your hands on some — the texture is so nice. You can find it at Greek and other international markets. I almost always order it (Duru Extra-Coarse Bulgur) because I have a hard time finding it. Shrimp: I’m using Wild American Shrimp (15-20 count) here, which I bought from Hooked in Latham. Hooked always sources fish from sustainable fisheries and if you are looking for more information on sustainable sources of shrimp, check out Seafood Watch.
