Über-tabouli (or kale salad with chickpeas)

Try this delectable kale salad with chickpeas, mixed with fresh herbs and tangy lemon dressing. A flavorful twist on the classic tabouli recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium bunch of kale
• 1 English cucumber
• 1 box grape tomatoes
• 4-6 scallions
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 lemon
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 3/4 cup bulgar wheat or Israeli couscous
• 1 cup feta, preferably Bulgarian
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to tast

Instructions:

1. Boil a small pot of water. Skin the cucumber, chop into medium-sized pieces, place in a colander, and season generously with salt. Allow to sit while you get the rest ready. Once the water reaches a boil, season with salt, then add the bulgur wheat (or couscous), cook until soft, and strain. Let it cool slightly before mixing it into the salad.
2. While the bulgar wheat/couscous is cooking, remove the stems from the kale, wash and dry thoroughly. Finely chop the kale and place it in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and vigorously massage the kale with your hands until well coated and reduced in size. Zest the lemon and mix it with the kale. Grate the garlic clove - or use a garlic press - and add it to the mix. Once the bulgar wheat has cooled a bit, incorporate it into this mixture.
3. Rinse grape tomatoes and halve them. Clean and thinly slice scallions. Add both to the kale.
4. Drain and rinse garbanzo beans; then, to remove as many garbanzo bean skins as possible, place them in water, shake vigorously, and rub them between your hands. Most of the skins should come off this way. If desired, pick through the remaining beans to eliminate any stubborn skins. Add them to the salad. Alternatively, if you don't mind some garbanzo bean skins in your salad, simply rinse the beans and add them as is.
5. Mix in the cucumbers with the salad. They should have released some liquid by now. Usually, there's no need to wash them; any remaining salt will enhance the salad's taste.
6. Squeeze the lemon to extract the juice. Gently combine all the ingredients in the salad. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
7. Lastly, cube the feta cheese and delicately mix it in. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. At times, I've included extra lemon juice or garlic for added flavor.

Summary:

• Calories: 1642 kcal
• Fat: 63 g
• Protein: 70 g
• Carbs: 213 g
• Potassium: 2434 mg
• Magnesium: 302 mg