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This colorful, vitamin-packed salad is guaranteed to be a winner on any buffet table! This is a wonderful way to use up fresh mint if you grow it in your garden.

1/3 c. bulgur or couscous*
2/3 c. boiling water
2 c. minced flat-leaf or curly parsley*
1 c. mint leaves*
1 green & 1 red pepper
4 firm, ripe tomatoes
4 green onions (scallions)
1/4 c. red onion
1/4 c. grated carrots
1/2 English cucumber, seeded & diced
1/4 to 1/3 c. olive oil (to taste)
1/4 to 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (to taste)
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
Fresh mint or basil leaves, to garnish

1. In a small bowl, combine bulgur or couscous with boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes to soften. (Couscous will take only 10 minutes.) Meanwhile, soak parsley and mint in cold salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and dry well. Trim off tough parsley stems. Remove mint leaves from stems.

2. Mince parsley and mint leaves. Chop vegetables. (Do this in the processor in batches, using on/off turns to retain texture.) Combine parsley, mint and vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add drained bulgur or couscous, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well. Add salt, pepper and basil. Allow to stand for at least 1/2 hour for flavors to blend. Garnish with fresh mint or basil leaves.

Yield: 8 servings. Leftovers will keep for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information:
121 calories per servings, 7.4 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 22 mg sodium, 434 mg potassium, 2 mg iron, 4 g fibre, 47 mg calcium.

*Hints:
Store bulgur in an airtight in a cool dark place. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several months, or in the freezer for up to a year.

Parsley should be well-dried before chopping. Your processor makes quick work of this task. Measure parsley after chopping. You need approximately twice as much before chopping to give you the required amount for this recipe.

If fresh mint is not available, add 2 tsp. dried mint. If you don't have dried mint, just leave it out. The salad will still have a delicious, garden-fresh flavor.