Peppery Bulgur Salad

• 1 cup fine bulgur
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 fresh red or green chili pepper, finely chopped
• Salt
• 5 to 7 scallions
• 3 tomatoes (about 11 ounces), diced
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
• To serve: 2 Little Gem (baby romaine) lettuces

1. Put the bulgur into a bowl, pour the boiling water over it, stir, and leave for 15 to 20 minutes, until the grain is tender.
2. Dont be tempted to add more water since the juice from the lemons and tomatoes will soften it further.
3. Add the tomato paste, lemon juice, olive oil, chili pepper, and some salt and mix thoroughly.
4. Trim the green tops off the scallions, then slice them finely.
5. Add them and the diced tomatoes to the bulgur mixture, together with the parsley and mint and mix well.
6. Serve with the small lettuce leaves stuck around the edges of the salad.
7. Another way is to roll the bulgur mixture into oval balls the size of a small egg and to place each one in the hollow of a lettuce leaf.
8. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses (see page 7) to the dressing.
9. This gives the grain a sweet-and-sour flavor.

bulgur, boiling water, tomato paste, lemons, extra virgin olive oil, fresh red, salt, scallions, tomatoes, flatleaf, mint leaves, gem

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/peppery-bulgur-salad-373039 (may not work)