For Cilantro Lovers Only: Tabbouleh Gone Wild, With Fresh Coriander, Toasted Walnuts and Preserved Lemon (SpiceLines)

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Crazy mixed-up tabbouleh is packed with zingy flavors, including Turkish urfa pepper, preserved lemon peel, sweet dried cherries and of course, lots and lots of cilantro.

If you don’t like cilantro, stop right here.

Do something fun. Like watching the French World Cup soccer team evade millions of delirious fans at Charles de Gaulle. (All four of them.) Or trying to figure out why your water bill is $15,056.15 this month. (Is that a misprint?)

But if you love cilantro, go right to the kitchen. It’s time to make “tabbouleh gone wild.”

Like ordinary packaged tabbouleh, this version is made with bulgur wheat, lemon juice, cucumbers and tomatoes. But wait.

Now toss the tasteless, dried up herbs that come in the box. In fact, toss the whole seasoning package. Add handfuls of fresh herbs from the garden: ruffled basil, cooling mint, Italian parsley and thyme leaves—a mixture, if you have it, of vibrant lemon, French and silver thymes. Now stir in a generous two cups of cilantro, chopped fine.

Yes, really.

The cilantro has a magical effect on all these green flavors. Somehow it pulls them together, at the same time allowing each to shine brightly. I’m no chemist—witness the exploding oven in my summer high school chemistry course—but I’m convinced that fresh coriander’s fatty aldehydes amplify the taste of the other herbs, while adding smoothness to the mixture.

But don’t stop there. Sprinkle in a little Ceylon cinnamon for depth and—did you know I’ve been channeling Istanbul?—a small spoonful of Urfa biber, a purplish Turkish pepper with a fruity taste and a nice slow burn. (You could use a pinch of red pepper flakes instead.) Add toasted walnuts for richness and crunch, a little preserved lemon peel for a burst of salty citrus, and dried sweetened cherries for deliciousness.

This is the coolest sparky-tasting dish I know for a sweltering summer day.

Be happy!

Tabbouleh with Fresh Coriander, Toasted Walnuts, Preserved Lemon and Dried Cherries

To serve 4 as a salad, or 2 as a main dish

Ingredients:

¾ cup bulgur wheat
1-1/2 cups water
1/3-cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped fine
¼ teaspoon cinnamon (preferably Ceylon)
½ teaspoon Urfa pepper, or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh basil, chopped fine
½ cup fresh mint, chopped fine
½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine
2 cups cilantro, chopped fine
1 cup toasted walnuts, broken into pieces
¾ cup dried sweetened cherries
1 tablespoon preserved lemon peel, chopped fine
12 cherry tomatoes, halved (preferably Sungold)
3/4 cup cucumber, seeds removed, cut in ¼ inch dice

Method:

1. Combine the bulgur wheat and the water in a saucepan over a medium flame and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and fluff the bulgur with a fork. Let cool for 10 minutes uncovered.
2. Pour the bulgur into a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, continuing to separate the grains with a fork. One at a time add the lemon juice, sea salt, garlic, cinnamon, Urfa pepper (or cayenne) and the olive oil, stirring after each ingredient is added. Set aside for 20 minutes.
3. Add the cilantro, basil, mint, parsley, thyme, walnuts, cherries and preserved lemon peel. Stir well, making sure that the bulgar and other ingredients are evenly mixed. Refrigerate for an hour.
4. Before serving, add the cherry tomatoes and cucumber and stir well to combine. Taste and correct seasonings as desired—you may wish to add more lemon juice, salt, Urfa pepper, or preserved lemon peel. Let the tabbouleh rest for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld, before eating.