The traditional Lebanese wheat and parsley salad is brilliant with fish, grilled meats, or spooned into flat bread with felafel and yoghurt. Buy your herbs by the bunch, and spike your tabbouleh with olives and preserved lemons (look for the Belazu brand in Sainsbury’s Special Selection). Burghul (also known as Bulgar or cracked wheat) is available from supermarkets or specialist food stores such as the (Lebanese) Greenvalley, 36 Upper Berkeley Street, W1 or (Iranian) Super Bahar, 349a Kensington High Street, W8.

Ingredients
Feeds 4. Takes 30 mins plus soaking time.

150g fine burghul
2 spring onions
2 tomatoes
1 small preserved (pickled) lemon (optional)
6 green olives
2 bunches parsley
1 bunch mint
2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2tbsp lemon juice
½tsp ground cumin
½tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp sea salt

Rinse the burghul, then soak in cold water and cover for one hour until swollen.

Finely chop the spring onions. Cut the tomatoes in half, squeeze out and discard the seeds and juice, and cut the remaining flesh into small dice. Finely chop the green olives. Rinse the preserved lemon, (discard the flesh if salty), and finely slice the rind.

Pick off the parsley and mint leaves, wash and dry them thoroughly, then roughly chop the leaves.

Drain the burghul and squeeze dry. Toss with the parsley, mint, spring onions, tomato, green olives and preserved lemon, if using. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne and sea salt, and pour over the salad. Toss well, and serve.

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