Shari's Unconventional Tabouleh

Ingredients

• Lemon Vinaigrette
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (NOT the bottled stuff!)
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ c. olive oil or walnut oil 
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 T. salt (sounds like a lot, but it’s for the whole salad)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 ½ cups of bulgur wheat
• 1 ¾ cups boiling water (for preparing bulgur)
• 1 large grated carrot
• 1 cup seedless grapes, halved
• 1 seedless Persian or kirby cucumber, quartered and sliced into ½ inch slices
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½-1 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
• ¼ cup chopped mint (if you have it)
• 1 cup cooked chick peas (or other beans you like)
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
• Toasted sunflower seeds, shelled pistachios or chopped toasted walnuts (optional)
• Minced scallions (optional)

Instructions

1. To prepare the bulgur: rinse bulgur and place in a medium (at least 4 cup) glass bowl. Pour boiling water over it and mix to saturate bulgur. Place a plate on top of the bowl to keep the heat in, make sure it is covered tightly (you can cover that with a kitchen towel) and let it sit for around 30 minutes. 
2. Mix the vinaigrette in a large bowl. 
3. Add prepared vegetables, beans and fruit. 
4. Add parsley, mint, and bulgur. Mix well.
5. Add feta cheese, and toss gently. Taste for salt and add pepper. 
6. Serve topped with nuts or seeds