As I write, it’s the start of a weekend that promises to be properly summery. I’m sure many BBQs are being planned (including ours).

In which case, I can thoroughly recommend this glorious tabbouleh. It uses very few ingredients and is one of those recipes that is so much more than the sum of its parts. And you can make it half a day in advance – in fact, it’s better for the tomato juices to have time to soak into the bulgar wheat. I ALWAYS make double this recipe and it keeps in the fridge for at least two days.

A perfect BBQ accompaniment and I’ve been meaning to post it for months.

Ingredients (serves 2-4)

200g coarse bulgar wheat
400ml cold water
pinch of Marigold bouillon powder
500g ripe tomatoes (invest in decent, flavourful tomatoes), chopped
A large bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
60g fresh mint, chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Soak the bulgar wheat in the water, with the bouillon seasoning, for 20 minutes.

While the bulgar wheat is soaking, chop the tomatoes and herbs but keep them separate.

Drain the bulgar wheat and pop it in a large bowl with the tomatoes. It’s good if you can let the juices absorb into the wheat for at least half an hour, but I often skip this and make the whole dish then leave it.

Add the rest of the ingredients including the olive oil and seasoning and give it a really thorough but gentle mix.