Tabbouleh (Lebanese Style)

2/3 c Bulgur

2 c Water

2/3 c Minced red onion

1 ts Salt

1/2 ts Ground allspice

1/2 c Finely chopped fresh mint

-leaves or 1 tb dried, -crumbled 2 1/2 c Finely chopped fresh parsley

-leaves (preferably flat- -leafed) 1/2 c Finely chopped scallion

1/4 c Fresh lemon juice

1/4 c Extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 c Finely-diced seeded seedless

-cucumber Put bulgur in a heatproof bowl. Bring water to a boil and pour over bulgur. Let bulgur stand 1 hour. While bulgur is soaking, in a large bowl, stir together onion, salt, allspice, and dried mint, if using (do not add fresh mint now), and let stand 30 minutes. Drain bulgur in a sieve, pressing hard to extract as much water as possible, and add to onion mixture with remaining ingredients, including fresh mint, if using. Toss salad well and season with salt and pepper. Appeared in the Jan 1995 issue of Gourmet magazine.