Minted Prawns with Tabbouleh, Tomatoes and Feta

A light Middle Eastern salad which could easily be turned into a main course. Bulgar has been used as a major food staple since around 4,000 B.C. Bulgar is used in soups, salads, breads and desserts. With its high nutritional value, bulgur is an excellent addition to a vegetarian diet as it is rich in B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, iron and manganese. It has fewer calories and fat and more than twice the fiber of brown rice. Bulgur’s nutty flavor marries especially well with lamb, duck, or anything cooked with fruit.

Serves 4
2 cups medium or coarsely cracked bulgar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (plus 2 tablespoons)
1/3 cup olive oil (plus 2 tablespoons)
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons sea salt
20 uncooked prawns, deveined
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped arugula
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 green onions chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Add water, 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/3 cup olive oil and bulgar in a large bowl. Stir and let stand until bulgar is tender and most liquid is absorbed (2 hours). In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons mint and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add prawns and marinate 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Drain off any excess liquid from the bulgar. Add tomatoes, arugula, feta, green onions, garlic and 3 tablespoons chopped mint. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill the prawns and add to the salad.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I used fresh coriander as the grocery store was out of arugula (rocket). Add other ingredients such as Kalamata olives, grilled Haloumi chopped up in lieu of feta, chopped parsley etc. This is a good salad to make ahead of time as the flavors will develop and you’ll have more time with your family or friends.