Tabouli

It's tabouli time!  The mint and parsley are going crazy in my herb garden, and farm-fresh tomatoes and cucumbers are starting to hit the co-ops and farmer's markets the city over.  (We've even harvested a few cherry tomatoes and one "Early Girl" from our own garden.)  Bulk up this summery staple with some cooked chickpeas and you've got yourself one healthy, refreshing lunch to enjoy all week long.

YIELD: 4 quart-sized salads

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup bulgur, cooked, drained, and cooled
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and patted dry
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 2-4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh mint, leaves finely chopped
• juice of one lemon
• 2-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 5-10 ounces baby spinach

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the tabouli: combine the bulgur, chickpeas, cucumber tomato, green onion, parsley, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Fold the ingredients together until well-combined.  
2. Pack the salads: divide the tabouli evenly among 4 tall quart-sized containers.  Divide the spinach evenly among the containers. Refrigerate until serving.
3. Enjoy your salad: invert your salad onto a plate or into a bowl.

TIME-SAVING TIPS: Use 1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry, for the home-cooked chickpeas.

SPECIAL DIET SWAPS: This salad is vegetarian/vegan and nut-free as-is.  For a gluten-free salad, substitute cooked, cooled quinoa for the bulgur.

Food styling, photography, and infographics by Robert Campbell.