I created this healthier take on tabbouleh for two of my friends who are vegan. I’d invited them for dinner and wanted something high in protein that wasn’t tofu. I wound up loving it so much that it’s become a staple in my house. With the 4th of July weekend fast approaching, I thought it’d be a great recipe for a BBQ since it’s easy to prepare ahead of time, and holds up well.
I like to make this tabbouleh with sprouted rye berries because I love the taste, but feel free to substitute any another grain such as brown rice, kamut, barley or farro. Personally, I wouldn’t use couscous because I don’t think it’s hearty enough, but really, the right grain choice is up to you. If you do use sprouted rye (or any other sprouted grain), you’ll need to soak them overnight so plan accordingly.
I serve this as a main course for my vegetarian and vegan friends and as a side dish with roasted chicken, fish or steak for my meat eating friends. It’s the type of salad that will keep for a couple of days in the fridge so leftovers are never a problem. That is if there’s actually any left over….
Sprouted Rye Berry & Garbanzo Bean Tabouleh
3 cups cooked sprouted rye berry **
1 can garbanzo beans. about 1 1/2 c
1 bunch italian parsley, chopped
1 english cucumber, peeled, seeded & diced
3 c baby tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size ***
juice of one lemon, about 2T
4 – 6 T good olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans. Add them to the cooked rye berry. Mix in the parsley, tomatoes and cucumber. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Adjust accordingly.
** Cook the rye berry according to package instructions but remember that you must soak them overnight so plan ahead.
*** I like to use the baby heirloom tomatoes if available. They have much more flavor.
