Prep time
24 hours
Cook time
30 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Summer, Spring
Serves
4
I love tabbouleh salad. It’s bright, fresh, and somehow still satisfyingly filling. Bulgur wheat is the main ingredient in tabbouleh. It's basically cracked whole-grain wheat berries, and offers a hearty, slightly nutty, and chewy texture that is a great alternative to brown rice, quinoa, or couscous. Served the Middle Eastern way, bulgar wheat is fantastic in tabbouleh salad, a delicious side dish known for its heavy doses of freshly chopped herbs and vegetables. Sometimes, I’ll make a giant bowl and eat from it for several days. Tabbouleh keeps well refrigerated and is meant to be enjoyed cold.
Tabbouleh also tastes amazing paired with meats, especially these meatballs, which I made to resemble the flavor of kofta. If the weather is nice, take your cooking outside: Form the ground meat mixture around skewers and cook them on the grill instead of making meatballs.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb. of ground meat (80/20 venison, lamb, or beef)
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup minced shallot
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- ¾ tsp. ground sumac
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt
- Olive oil
Tabbouleh Salad
- 1 package Near East Tabouleh grain mix
- 1½ cups of English or Persian cucumber, seeds scraped out and large diced
- 1½ cups of tomato, seeds removed and large diced
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt, plus extra
- 1 bunch of curly parsley, leaves finely chopped
- ⅓ cup of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, minced
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil
Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
- Fine sea salt, to taste
Also works with
Preparation
-
Prepare the tabbouleh salad one day ahead. This allows the bulgur wheat to soften and the flavors to marry. Pour the bulgur wheat and spice packet into a large bowl, and stir in 1 cup of boiled water. Cover and allow to soak for 30 minutes on the counter. Meanwhile, place diced cucumber and tomato into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch juices. Then toss with ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt and allow to sit; the salt will help draw out moisture and prevent your tabbouleh from getting watery.
-
Finally, combine soaked bulgur wheat with the cucumber-tomato mixture and the remaining tabbouleh salad ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight, before serving. Season to taste.
-
Combine the yogurt sauce ingredients and keep cold.
-
To make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs with ¼ cup of milk and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Next, add the remaining meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, and knead until well incorporated. Roll the ground meat mixture into 1½-inch balls and brown in a pan with olive oil over medium heat, looking for an internal temperature of at least 160°F. Serve meatballs with tabbouleh salad and a dollop of yogurt sauce.
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(0)Meatballs with Tabbouleh Salad
Prep time
24 hours
Cook time
30 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Beginner
Season
Summer, Spring
Serves
4
I love tabbouleh salad. It’s bright, fresh, and somehow still satisfyingly filling. Bulgur wheat is the main ingredient in tabbouleh. It's basically cracked whole-grain wheat berries, and offers a hearty, slightly nutty, and chewy texture that is a great alternative to brown rice, quinoa, or couscous. Served the Middle Eastern way, bulgar wheat is fantastic in tabbouleh salad, a delicious side dish known for its heavy doses of freshly chopped herbs and vegetables. Sometimes, I’ll make a giant bowl and eat from it for several days. Tabbouleh keeps well refrigerated and is meant to be enjoyed cold.
Tabbouleh also tastes amazing paired with meats, especially these meatballs, which I made to resemble the flavor of kofta. If the weather is nice, take your cooking outside: Form the ground meat mixture around skewers and cook them on the grill instead of making meatballs.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb. of ground meat (80/20 venison, lamb, or beef)
- ¼ cup milk
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup minced shallot
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- ¾ tsp. ground sumac
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. ground coriander
- ¼ tsp. ground cumin
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- ¾ tsp. kosher salt
- Olive oil
Tabbouleh Salad
- 1 package Near East Tabouleh grain mix
- 1½ cups of English or Persian cucumber, seeds scraped out and large diced
- 1½ cups of tomato, seeds removed and large diced
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt, plus extra
- 1 bunch of curly parsley, leaves finely chopped
- ⅓ cup of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, minced
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil
Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh dill, minced
- Fine sea salt, to taste
Also works with
Preparation
-
Prepare the tabbouleh salad one day ahead. This allows the bulgur wheat to soften and the flavors to marry. Pour the bulgur wheat and spice packet into a large bowl, and stir in 1 cup of boiled water. Cover and allow to soak for 30 minutes on the counter. Meanwhile, place diced cucumber and tomato into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch juices. Then toss with ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt and allow to sit; the salt will help draw out moisture and prevent your tabbouleh from getting watery.
-
Finally, combine soaked bulgur wheat with the cucumber-tomato mixture and the remaining tabbouleh salad ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight, before serving. Season to taste.
-
Combine the yogurt sauce ingredients and keep cold.
-
To make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs with ¼ cup of milk and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Next, add the remaining meatball ingredients, except the olive oil, and knead until well incorporated. Roll the ground meat mixture into 1½-inch balls and brown in a pan with olive oil over medium heat, looking for an internal temperature of at least 160°F. Serve meatballs with tabbouleh salad and a dollop of yogurt sauce.