Tabbouleh

Method

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1. 1Rinse and drain the bulgur, mix it with half the lemon juice and leave for 15 minutes to soften.
2. 2Wash the parsley and mint and dry them completely in a salad spinner or a clean towel. Wet herbs bruise when chopped and make the salad watery.
3. 3Remove the thick parsley stems, gather the leaves into a tight bunch and chop very finely with a sharp knife. Chop the mint the same way; avoid the food processor, which turns herbs to mush.
4. 4Cut the tomatoes into very small dice and let them drain in a sieve for a few minutes. Thinly slice the spring onions.
5. 5Combine the parsley, mint, tomatoes, spring onions and bulgur in a large bowl.
6. 6Add the remaining lemon juice, the olive oil, salt and allspice and toss gently. Taste: tabbouleh should be distinctly lemony.
7. 7Serve right away, or within half an hour, with lettuce leaves on the side. In Lebanon they are used as scoops.