Tabbouleh Salad

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This is a traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh salad recipe made with fine bulgur, parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, lemon juice and olive oil dressing. I don't stop there because my favourite version is with pomegranate and feta cheese. When you get a bunch of fresh parsley, then don't let it sit in the fridge! Chop up and make this easy Tabbouleh recipe and enjoy the zing!

Tabbouleh also spelt as tabouli, is a Middle Eastern salad often served as part of a mezze, a selection of appetizers or as a side dish to accompany grilled meat or fish.

Unlike Mutabbal or Baba Ganoush, this Tabouli salad does not require any kind of cooking. An Arab friend mentioned that you are either a fan of Tabbouleh or Fattoush. I disagree because I love both and most of the time you will find Tabbouleh recipes online that have ingredients of Fattoush. But one thing that does not belong to the Lebanese Tabbouleh recipe is fried or toasted pita pieces. 🙂

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Ingredients
How to make it?
Substitutions
Variations
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
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Ingredients

You cannot make Tabbouleh salad without parsley leaves.

parsley leaves
mint leaves
onion
fine bulgur (mostly tagged as #1)
tomato
olive oil
lime or lemon juice
salt and pepper
pomegranate (optional)
feta cheese (optional)

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to make it?

Though there isn't cooking involved to make the best tabbouleh recipe, you need to have some fine chopping skills. You may use the chopper if serving immediately. Else, all you need to do is prep the ingredients and mix when ready to serve.

But feel free to increase the greens or the grain (bulgur) however you like but traditionally the amount of bulgur is very minimal.

basic tabbouleh ingredients ready to be mixed

Preparing fine burghul

Fine bulgur wheat does not require cooking or long hours of soaking.

Add the fine bulgur to a small bowl and pour double the amount of clean water.
Stir and drain excess water immediately.
Let it sit on the counter while you prep the fresh herbs and vegetables.

Prepping Parsley leaves

First, I check the bunch for any bad or yellowed leaves and discard them.
Then I cut off all the thick stalks and discard them too.
Next, I rinse the leaves under running water and then keep them submerged in water for 5 to 8 minutes. This will help any grit or dust to settle down.
Now, carefully lift off the leaves from the water and place them in a colander. Use the water in the bowl to water your plants.
Once drained, you can run the parsley leaves in a salad spinner to get rid of excess water. If you don't have one, it is okay. Just let it drain out completely. At this point, you can store the leaves in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

When ready to make Tabbouleh salad, chop the parsley leaves finely using a sharp knife. You may use a chopper but I feel the texture of salad is best when chopped with a knife.

Prepping vegetables

For tomatoes, I like to scoop out the pulp and eat it or use it for any other recipe. So, just halve the tomato, scoop out the pulp and then slice it lengthwise and then chop it to dice. You will also chop an onion to the same size as tomatoes.

Salad dressing

You don't need to whisk or shake a jar to make a salad dressing for Tabbouleh. You can add them one after the other into the large bowl of greens. But I like to mix the lemon or lime juice and extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper.

Keep this ready and stir it into the salad only close to the serving time. You can always taste the salad and add more citrus or olive oil.

Substitutions

onion: I have used red onion but you can use white, green or yellow.
fine bulgur: For a gluten-free version, try substituting the fine burghul with Quinoa or cooked lentils. You can even try using fine couscous or even cooked rice. If using larger bulgur, then rinse quickly and soak in boiling water until soft.
lemon juice: I have used lime juice but in a pinch, you can add the zing via white vinegar or a sprinkle of sumac.
feta cheese: though not authentic, I love this addition. You can skip it or add some dollops of lebni (labneh)

Variations

You will be amazed as there are so many interesting variations to make Tabbouleh salad. Some of the common variations include:

Persian cucumber
pitted olives
cherry tomatoes
garlic
radish
orange (both juice and fruit) etc.

Storage

Store any leftover Tabbouleh salad in an airtight container in the fridge for not more than days.

Top tip

If your bowl of refrigerated Tabbouleh becomes soggy, add more fine burghul to soak up the excess moisture.

tabouli with feta cheese and pomegranate

FAQ

What's tabbouleh made of?

Tabbouleh salad is a Middle Eastern salad typically made with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onion, and fine bulgur wheat, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Is tabouli healthy?

Tabbouleh is known for its fresh and bright flavours, as well as its nutritional value. It is a good source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals, and it is often considered a healthy option for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet.

What can I use instead of bulgur in tabbouleh?

You can use couscous, quinoa, or even rice as a substitute for bulgur in tabbouleh.

How do you keep tabbouleh from getting soggy?

To keep tabbouleh from getting soggy, you can try draining the chopped vegetables and fresh herbs before mixing them with the other ingredients. You can also add the salad dressing right before serving to prevent it from sitting in the salad for too long. Additionally, you can refrigerate the tabbouleh and take it out only when you're ready to serve.

More recipes using fresh parsley: