The Day After Thanksgiving Meal: Kale Tabbouleh

I am a tad bit obsessed with kale.  Correction:  I am super obsessed with raw and finely chopped kale when combined with bulgar, mint, tomatoes, chick peas and an assortment of other lovely things that make up this kale tabbouleh!  This superfood treat inspired by Melissa Clark's recipe recently featured in the New York Times is DY-NO-MITE.  

It is also a perfect option for the day after Thanksgiving when the reality of Thursday's over-indulgance sets in.  A bowl of this relatively low calorie creation will provide not only fiber, but 15 percent of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40 percent of magnesium, 180 percent of vitamin A, 200 percent of vitamin C, and 1,020 percent of vitamin K.  This stuff is food for your heart and brain and cancer fighting!

Now granted, I have been taste testing a variety of Thanksgiving recipes for a few weeks now and eating the leftovers so I am in need of a fat camp at this point.  I will be eating this salad every day for a good week before and after Thanksgiving.

Clark's idea of using raw kale instead of parsley and tripling the amount in this tabbouleh was a stroke of brilliance.  And the cumin MAKES the simple dressing.

Now, I ditched the radishes featured in the original recipe, not because I thought there was anything wrong with them, but because I didn't have any hanging around.  Instead, I added 1/2 tsp of paprika and a can of chick peas to the mix, the latter to entice my husband to eat this chopped salad creation.  It worked!  

I also only used about 2/3 dressing originally and then drizzled the reserve dressing when I served it as leftovers.  I also finely chopped the mint.  I also think you might be able to swap bulgar for some other grain if you have a gluten allergy although then it really wouldn't be tabbouleh...

One last thing about the versatility of this dish.  You can serve it for dinner underneath a kabob of chicken or lamb. You can serve it alongside cedar planked salmon or perhaps with christmas ham?  You can serve it with pan-fried baby artichokes dusted with cheese.  Or eat it as leftovers for lunch with whatever you please!

Kale Tabbouleh

Author: Julie du Pont

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulgur
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/4 tsp of sea salt (and more for topping before serving)
• 5-6 cups kale, stems removed and finely chopped
• 6 campari tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup chopped mint
• 1 can of chick peas
• Ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook bulgar according to package directions. Cool.
2. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, shallot, cumin, paprika and salt. Whisk in olive oil.
3. In a large bowl, combine bulgar, kale, tomatoes, mint and radish. Toss in half dressing, taste. Add more as needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Julie du Pont is a Darien resident, mom and lawyer.  She blogs about food and entertaining at Weekend Table.

Editor's note: This blog post is featured on the "Thanksgiving in Darien" topics page, where you can find Darien Patch's articles, announcements and blog posts on Thanksgiving—including recipes. See also the "Darien Food Blogs" and "Darien Food & Drink" topics page.