The best Tabbouleh!

I realize it's been awhile. I have unfortunately been short of good ideas - that is, until we went to Cincinnati's Lebanese Festival today! Here's the yummy food we had:

Tabbouleh (bulgur salad with tomatoes and parsley) is a Middle-Eastern staple that I fell in love with a few years ago. Not only it is delicious, it is healthy, inexpensive and a refreshingly different type of salad. Tabbouleh is typically served as a side dish, but I admit I often eat a larger portion for my meal!

Tabbouleh is one of those recipes that everyone makes a little differently. Here is my version:

Tabbouleh
Serves 4 as a side dish
[Easy to double or triple]

1/2 c. raw bulgur (cracked wheat kernels)
1 c. tomato, seeded and chopped (about 1 large)
1/4 c. red onion
1/4 c. diced cucumber (optional)
1/4 c. parsley, or more to taste (must use fresh in this recipe!)
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. water
1/4 t. salt, or more to taste
1/4 t. pepper, or more to taste

Rinse bulgur in a colander with cold water; drain. Place bulgur, tomatoes, onion, cucumber and parsley in a medium bowl, ideally with a lid. Combine liquid in a small bowl (I just use a liquid measuring cup), and stir to combine. Pour liquid over bulgur and vegetables. Stir, and season with salt and pepper. Salad should be thoroughly moistened, but with no excess liquid; if it's too dry, add extra lemon juice or water to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. I save a step of cooking the bulgur because it will soften as it sets; the flip side of this is you must refrigerate before serving unless you want hard bulgur!