easing into spring with a minty fresh taboule & a green bean blood orange salad
i've been so obsessed with quinoa lately that i've neglected to make taboule the traditional way, with bulgur rather than substituting my favorite grain-seed quinoa. at our house we really enjoy a hearty & spicy quinoa-taboule (almost on a weekly basis), but there is something soothing, familiar, and frankly more "substantial" about the original version-so, in planning the menu for a small gathering of friends last night i decided on a bowl of super fresh lemony taboule loaded with fresh flat leaf parsley & mint leaves (original Lebanese recipe shared with me by my lovely friend Rula’s family many years ago in France) to go with my all time favorite chicken dish, adda'a morrocan chicken (which turned out better than ever i think- possibly because of the last minute addition of a cup of fresh orange juice). one of the best things about taboule is that the leftovers taste almost better the next day-which brings me to the most important factor in making a good one-the ingredients: they must be super fresh and abundant (way more parsley, mint, and lemons than you think you will need).
taboule ingredients
if you plan to make some, and you really should, because nothing makes you feel as spring(y) fresh as this dish-be ready to become pretty good friends with your favorite sharp knife....you'll have to do some chopping, but it WILL be worth it. speaking of chopping, my green bean, feta, and walnut salad requires very little of it. it is so often my go to {delicious and easy} salad/side dish/almost-a-meal when i entertain-here i added the last blood oranges of the season for a citrusy punch and their beautiful color. it made the perfect side for the medium rare tri-tip roast i served with it. okay, now i'm hungry, and my mouth is literally watering. i'm hitting the fridge for a nice bowl of that leftover taboule~wish you could join me:-)
ingredients for 4-6 servings of bulgur (or substitute quinoa) taboule:
2 large bunches of organic flat leaf parsley (about 1.5-2 cups) washed, allowed to dry, and finely chopped
1 large bunch organic fresh mint leaves (1/2-1 cup), washed, allowed to dry and thinly sliced/chopped
6-7 organic scallions, thinly sliced
4-5 ripe roma (or 3 medium ripe) tomatoes, finely cubed
3/4 cup (i prefer less bulgur-adjust amount to your taste) cooked bulgur or quinoa (boil in lightly salted water for just a few minutes then drain excess water and allow it to cool)
2 lemons, freshly juiced (adjust amount to taste-but keep in mind the bulgur soaks up the lemon juice and olive oil quite a bit)
3-4 tbs good quality extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & freshly cracked pepper to taste-red pepper flakes, optional for spicy
place all the ingredients other than olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl (leave ingredients in separate piles until ready to toss). if making ahead, cover and set aside until 30 minutes prior to serving, then dress (with lemon juice to taste, evoo, and salt & pepper) toss well. taste and adjust seasoning. enjoy every bite. {see below for green bean salad recipe}
for green bean salad with blood oranges:
blood oranges in salad
2-3 cups organic green beans, cleaned and quickly boiled in lightly salted water until just tender-do not overcook them. drain in a collander and quickly place in an ice bath or rinse with cold water. drain well.
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1/4 cup crumbled french feta cheese
1-2 blood oranges (or you can use pomegranate seeds), peeled and sectioned into small pieces.
1/4 cup of my shallot vinaigrette
the dinner table with the famous blood oranges front and center
my chicken dish with olives and lemons just getting started (adda's morrocan chicken)
combine ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with dressing, toss just before serving. simple as that.