Fetta and orange tabouli recipe

Preparation time - 40 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes chilling

Cooking time - Nil

 

11⁄3 cups (250 g) burghul

500 g ripe but firm tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, finely chopped

50 g pitted black olives, halved (optional)

1 green or red chilli, deseeded and diced (optional)

1⁄4 cup (10 g) chopped fresh herbs, such as mint, basil and coriander

1 garlic clove, crushed

1⁄2 teaspoon caster sugar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 oranges

175 g fetta cheese, drained and diced

1⁄4 cup (25 g) flaked almonds, toasted

200 g cos lettuce or young English spinach leaves

 

1. Put the burghul in a bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover and stir well. Leave to soak for 20–30 minutes.

 

2. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, onion, olives and chilli (if using), herbs, garlic and sugar in a large serving bowl and stir in the olive oil.

 

3. Using a zester, remove the zest from 1 orange in fine shreds and add them to the tomato mixture. Slice the top and bottom off both oranges, cut off all the peel and pith, then halve and chop the fruit, removing the pips and any large pieces of membrane from the middle. Add the oranges to the tomato mixture with any juice on the board.

 

4. Drain the burghul in a sieve, pressing out excess water, then add it to the tomato mixture. Cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

 

5. Just before serving, stir the fetta cheese and almonds into the tabouli. Season to taste. Serve with salad leaves, crisp enough to use as scoops or large enough to wrap around forkfuls of tabouli.