Description
This simple Middle Eastern tabbouleh salad recipe is a delicious way to combine bulgar wheat with healthful herbs, plants, and tofu to make a fresh, filling, protein-packed vegan meal. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tomatoes (cored and cut into ½-inch pieces)
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup medium-grind bulgur (rinsed)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ cups minced fresh parsley
- ½ cup minced fresh mint
- 2 scallions (sliced thin)
Instructions
- Toss tomatoes with ¼ teaspoon salt in fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let drain, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes; reserve 2 tablespoons drained tomato juice. Toss bulgur with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and reserved tomato juice in a bowl and let sit until grains begin to soften, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, spread tofu on a paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently press dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Pulse tofu in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 to 4 pulses. Line baking sheet with clean paper towels. Spread processed tofu over prepared sheet and press gently with paper towels to dry.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until tofu is lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. (Tofu should start to sizzle after about 1½ minutes; adjust heat as needed.) Push tofu to sides of skillet. Add 1 teaspoon oil and garlic to center and cook, mashing garlic into the skillet, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir mixture into tofu. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, cayenne, and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add drained tomatoes, soaked bulgur, cooled tofu, parsley, mint, and scallions and toss to combine. Cover and let sit until bulgur is tender, about 1 hour. Toss to recombine and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
When shopping, don’t confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which has a much longer cooking time and will not work in this recipe. You can substitute firm tofu for the extra-firm in this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
Keywords: bulgar, garlic tofu, herbs, meze, mediterranean, salad, tabbouleh, tomatoes