How to Make Tabbouleh and Cacik

Ingredients

• 3½ oz (100 g) bulgur wheat
• 1 small cucumber
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 9 oz (250 g) tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 scallions, trimmed and chopped
• small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 bunch of mint, leaves chopped
• 1 large garlic, clove, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup natural yogurt
• 4 pita breads

1. Put the bulgur wheat in a large bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover generously. Let it soak for 30 minutes, then drain through a sieve and squeeze out any remaining water with your fist.
2. Trim the ends from the cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Cube the cucumber halves, put in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and stir to mix. Leave for 15–20 minutes, to draw out the bitter juices, then rinse under cold running water and drain.
3. For the tabbouleh, in a large bowl, combine the bulgur, tomatoes, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, oil, two-thirds of the mint, and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix and taste for seasoning, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
4. To make the cacik, put the cucumber in a bowl and add the garlic, remaining mint, ground coriander, ground cumin, and salt and pepper. Pour in the yogurt. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, to allow the flavors to blend.
5. Warm the pita breads in a low oven for 3–5 minutes, then remove and cut into strips. Take the salads from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, then arrange them in separate bowls with the warm pita bread fingers alongside.