Fresh & Healthy Taboulé / Tabbouleh

I know this recipe since I was a child, my mom used to do it all the time in summer, for a BBQ, a picnic by the lake or a big family reunion … and it was always a huge success. Maybe I am not the most objective person, but this is the best Tabbouleh recipe I have ever tried ! Thank you Mom ! Marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and fresh mint, it is so refreshing and healthy, and you can serve it as an appetiser in mini verrines, as a starter or as a side dish with delicious BBQ ribs … yummy ! I love it and can never have enough of it ! This one is a vegetarian version but you can also decide to add some chicken, or any cold meat you have left over.

                                                                             

Ingredients (for 8 people as a starter or side dish) :

– 250g of couscous = thin (uncooked) wheat semolina (= semoule fine a couscous)

– 500g of tomatoes (Don’t keep your tomatoes in the fridge or it will lose its flavor)

– 100g of fresh (or frozen) green peas

– 3 to 4 lemons

– 1 small zucchini (or you can also replace by bell pepper or any vegies you’d like !)

– 1 onion

– 15 leaves of fresh mint (keep some extra for the decoration)

– 125ml of olive oil

– parsley

– salt & pepper

– a few cherry tomatoes for decoration

Directions:

1. In a big bowl, pour all couscous (=uncooked wheat semolina)

2. Cook your fresh green  peas in boiling water. Reserve

3. Meanwhile, wash and cut your tomatoes in very tiny cubes

4. Add the cut tomatoes and the green peas in the bowl with the couscous.

5. Press the juice of the 3 lemons and pour in the bowl together with the olive oil

6. Wash and cut the zucchini in very tiny cubes and add in the bowl.

7. In a small robot, grind the mint together with the parsley and the onion. Add it to the bowl. (if you don’t want to use the robot, you can also chopped it very thinely)

8. Salt & pepper and mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

9. Chill in the fridge for minimum 4 hours or the full night.

10. To be served cold as a starter or as a side dish