This salad, which I have on hand throughout the summer, is very Dr. Fuhrman Eat To Live plan friendly, so feel free to indulge with a huge portion. When I first started making this years ago, I did everything the hard way – hand washed every sprig of parsley and pulled off only the best-looking leaves, painstakingly diced the tomatoes and cucumbers into tiny pieces and chopped the parsley and garlic until they were nearly minced. It took me almost an hour to make the salad, so I only made it for special occasions. Now I throw the parsley (with stems) and garlic in the food processor and pull out my handy-dandy Vidalia Chop Wizard to dice the veggies with lightning speed, so I make this quite frequently. It’s a wonderfully refreshing salad for hot summer days.
Originally, I didn’t use mint in the salad. It was still incredibly delicious, but after having it at a Middle Eastern restaurant with mint, I was hooked. I tried making it with fresh mint, but for some reason it didn’t turn out as well as using dried mint. A word of caution: dried mint can be very strong and the flavor develops even further after sitting in the fridge for a few hours. Start adding small amounts at a time until you find the flavor balance you like.
The traditional version of this salad is made with bulgur wheat so it contains gluten. You can make a gluten-free version by substituting quinoa instead of bulgur. Quinoa also bumps the protein content up significantly. I like it both ways, but if forced to choose, I prefer the traditional bulgur wheat version because I like the “bite” of the grain – like pasta cooked al dente.
Ingredients (serves 8 – 10)
3/4 cup bulgur wheat (or use a packaged mix – I like the Near East brand)
1 cup boiling water
4 cups chopped parsley (about 2 large bunches)
2 cups diced tomatoes (3 medium tomatoes)
2 cups diced cucumber (1 English cucumber)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions (1 bunch)
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped garlic (about 3 large cloves)
½ – 1 tbsp. dried mint – optional
½ tsp. sea salt – optional
Directions
1. Place bulgur wheat in a large mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for about 30 minutes until water is absorbed. If using quinoa, place 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water in a pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Place parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Dice tomatoes and cucumber. Slice green onions.
3. After bulgur wheat (or quinoa) has completely cooled, mix in parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions.
4. Adding small amounts at a time, crush the dried mint with your fingers and sprinkle over ingredients. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Mix very well. Keep adding in mint until you find the balance of flavors you like. Keep in mind that the flavor will develop a bit further in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Let chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
Shannon says
This sounds so refreshing right now! I love mint in things during the warmer months. So I’m intrigued by the chop wizard that you mentioned. Is it easy to clean?
Amy says
Thanks, Shannon. Yes, the chop wizard is easy to clean. It comes with a cleaning “comb” that rakes through the grid that chops the vegetables, so just run it under water and scrape the food scraps down with the comb. Then throw it in the dishwasher. When I have a lot of dicing to do, it comes in very handy. You can pick one up at Bed Bath & Beyond for about $15.00 or get it off Amazon.
cheri says
Hi Amy, this salad looks wonderful and your pictures are truly amazing. I used to make salads like you talk about here, and it took forever, maybe that is part of the reason so many people take the easy route.
Amy says
Thanks, Shannon. I’m always looking for the quick and easy way to do things!
Sherry says
I am really pleased to see someone making this with DRIED mint! I live in a very rural area of Kansas where mint is difficult to find and expensive when I do. This will make this much more affordable for me on a fixed disability income. THANKS!
Amy says
So glad you think dried mint is a good option as well! Thanks for stopping by, Sherry!