Since no cooking is involved, this "rustic salad from the Bekaa Valley" of Lebanon, as recorded by Claudia Roden, is a great choice for the summer, when the days are warm and fresh herbs abound. We suspect that many of your favorite herbs will work just as well in it as mint and parsley.Soak the bulgur in a lot of cold water at least for 20 min; drain and squeeze out the excess water (if you figure out how to do this without losing any grains, please, let us know). Drain chickpeas and mix them with garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil in the serving bowl. Let the beans marinade for at least 10 minutes. When ready to serve, stir in the bulgur and the chopped herbs.
- 1 cup fine or medium-ground bulgur
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- juice of 2-3 lemons
- 7 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 1 can (14oz) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained
~ 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
~ 3 cups parsley, chopped