Lebanese Kale Tabbouleh

Method

1. 1

   Step 1

   Rinse the bulgur in a fine sieve under cool running water, drain it well and tip it into the large serving bowl. Pour over 2 tbsp of the lemon juice, stir and leave for 15 minutes while you prepare the greens: the grains will swell and soften but should keep a slight bite.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Wash your hands, then wash the kale, parsley and mint just before using them: rinse them under clean, cool running water, gently rubbing the leaves, especially in the curly folds of the kale where soil can hide. Drain and dry everything very thoroughly in a salad spinner or between clean towels — wet greens make a soggy tabbouleh and dilute the dressing.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Strip the kale leaves from their thick central stems by pulling the leaf along the stem with your fingers; set the stems aside for a soup. Pick the parsley leaves from the thick lower stalks (the thin upper stems can stay) and pick the mint leaves.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Gather the kale leaves into a tight bundle and, with a very sharp knife, slice them into thin ribbons, then cut across the ribbons until the kale is almost as fine as the bulgur. Chop the parsley and mint the same way. Work in small batches and avoid a food processor, which bruises the leaves into a paste.

   Tip: A sharp knife cuts herbs cleanly; a blunt one crushes them and turns them dark.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Put the chopped kale in a bowl with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp each of the lemon juice and olive oil, and rub it between your fingers for about 1 minute, until it darkens slightly and feels softer. This takes the edge off kale’s natural bitterness.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Cut the tomatoes into small dice (about 5 mm) and finely slice the spring onions, white and green parts. Spread the tomatoes and their juice over the soaked bulgur — the juice finishes softening the grains.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Add the massaged kale, parsley, mint and spring onions to the bowl. Pour over the remaining lemon juice and olive oil, season with salt, black pepper and the seven-spice, if using, and toss gently with a fork or your hands until everything is evenly coated.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Taste and adjust: tabbouleh should be fresh, sharp and lemony, so add more lemon or salt if it tastes flat. Serve within 30 minutes, while the greens are still bright and crisp.

Cooking tips

• Dry, dry, dry: the drier the greens, the brighter and fluffier the tabbouleh.
• In Lebanese tabbouleh the bulgur is an accent, not the base — resist adding more.
• Don’t throw away the kale stems: chop them finely and simmer them in kale & lentil soup.
• This recipe uses 150 g of a 250 g bag; the rest is just right for crispy kale chips.

Storage & leftovers

Tabbouleh is best eaten freshly made, as the greens soften and release water while it sits. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours; for the best texture eat them by the next day, and within 3–4 days at most. To get ahead, dice the tomatoes and chop the greens a few hours early, keep them covered separately in the fridge and dress just before serving. Keep any unused kale unwashed, in its bag, in the crisper drawer at 0–4 °C.