Lentil Tabbouleh — The Twenty-Second Birthday

I turned twenty-two Thursday June 15. Brayden is eighty-nine weeks old. Mama drove up Thursday afternoon for the small home-birthday-dinner with Dustin and Brayden. Carol called at six PM. Aunt Linda came up Saturday for the small family-of-five lunch (us three, Aunt Linda, Mama who stayed through Saturday).

The lentil tabbouleh is a Mediterranean-leaning salad — cooked lentils, cooked bulgur, chopped parsley, chopped mint, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, finely-diced red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. The salad is bright, herb-forward, and the lentil-and-bulgur combination gives it the kind of substantial protein-and-grain backbone that makes it a meal rather than a side.

The technique question is the bulgur-and-lentil cooking stages. Both need to be fully cooked before they are combined with the fresh ingredients (which would otherwise be wilted by the residual heat). The bulgur is soaked in hot water for thirty minutes. The lentils are simmered in salted water for twenty-five minutes until tender. Both are drained and cooled to room temperature before the fresh ingredients are folded in.

Thursday I made it for the birthday dinner. Mama had two helpings. Dustin had two. I had two. Brayden had a small portion of plain cooked lentils (no fresh ingredients). The salad was the centerpiece of the small dinner. The cake was a small four-inch vanilla-with-lemon-buttercream Dustin had ordered from a small Tulsa bakery.

Lentil Tabbouleh

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 2 1/2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 2 large bunches)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced small
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and diced small
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the lentils. Combine lentils, water or broth, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 18—20 minutes, until lentils are just tender but still hold their shape. Do not overcook — you want them firm enough to toss. Drain any excess liquid, remove and discard the bay leaf, and spread lentils on a sheet pan to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. Prep the vegetables and herbs. While lentils cool, finely chop the parsley and mint, dice the tomatoes and cucumber, and slice the green onions. The chop on the parsley matters — go fine, not rough, so it distributes evenly through the salad.
3. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper until combined.
4. Combine. In a large bowl, add the cooled lentils, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions. Pour the dressing over and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
5. Taste and adjust. Taste for salt and lemon — this salad is meant to be bright and well-seasoned. Add more lemon juice or salt as needed.
6. Chill before serving. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together. Serve cold or at room temperature. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days — the flavor improves overnight.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 195 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 210mg