Old Tabouli Recipe

1/3 cup fine burghul

3 roma or small truss tomatoes, washed, seeds removed and diced

1 Lebanese cucumber, washed and diced

1 cup chopped washed parsley and mint leaves. You can use half and half but I prefer to use more mint than parsley

4 spring onions, washed, topped and tailed, very finely chopped

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Place burghul in a small bowl and just cover with boiling water. Cover the bowl, and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Tip the burghul into a tea towell and drain any excess liquid.

Place vegetables and herbs in a serving bowl.

Add burghul and a sprinkle of salt.

Mix gently.

Add lemon juice and olive oil and mix until well combined.

Allow to sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop. After this resting time, refrigerate until needed.

It can be difficult to get the right amount of dressing. Lemon juice is important, and oil is needed to balance the acidity of the lemon but it is also easy to make the salad become soggy.