Tabbouleh

This tabbouleh salad shines with the bright, fresh flavors of parsley, mint and lemon. It's great as a side salad with other Mediterranean dishes.

 

Today's recipe is a long-time fave of mine in restaurants and cafes that I finally tackled in my own kitchen.

And now I'm obsessed and can't stop making it!

Tabbouleh is a Middle Eastern salad that’s just bursting with bright, fresh flavors!

It features bulgur wheat and loads of fresh herbs and is super easy to throw together.

So, I’m pretty sure I was meant to be born in Lebanon.

You know how everyone has a regional food that they feel drawn to? Maybe it’s Italian, maybe it’s Mexican, maybe it’s French or Indian or Southern or Californian.

For me, I can’t get enough of the Mediterranean flavors. I could nosh on hummus, shawarma, kabobs, tabbouleh and marinated salads every day and be a happy lady.

Though the same could be said for tacos... and paninis... and chopped salads... and roasted veggies. Oh, don't make me choose!

So when I’m fixing a spread of falafel and hummus and pita and veggies, I love to have this tabbouleh salad at the table too.

It bring so much color and flavor to the party!

OK, let's get cooking.

Now, I've got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make tabbouleh. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Ingredient Notes:

• Bulgur Wheat - This is made from the cracked whole grains of different wheat species. It's par-boiled and dried and has a mild, nutty flavor and a chewy texture. You can usually find it with other grains in your grocery store.
• Parsley - You need TWO full cups of chopped parsley for this recipe. Yes, that's a lot.
• Mint - You also need ½ cup of chopped mint, so make sure you buy enough at the store!
• Cucumber - A regular cucumber or a hot house/seedless cucumber will work here. If yours has a lot of large seeds, you can scoop some out before chopping it.
• Tomatoes - Regular vine ripe tomatoes work great here or use roma tomatoes.

The recipe, as written, is a traditional tabbouleh.

But feel free to get creative and add in some extras to change this up.

Tabbouleh Add-Ins:

• 1 cup rinsed and drained chick peas (or homemade)
• ½ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
• ¼ cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, etc.)
• 1 cup cooked, diced chicken or cooked, crumbled sausage

And if you find yourself with extra tabbouleh, add it to a wrap with some hummus and you are in lunch heaven!

Or top off your turkey sandwich with a bit of tabbouleh - that’ll put a pep in your step for the afternoon!

Speaking of leftovers, last thing: Leftover tabbouleh can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Mix well before serving.

I hope you try this soon and are as addicted as we are!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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5 from 2 votes

Tabbouleh

This tabbouleh salad shines with the bright, fresh flavors of parsley, mint and lemon. It's great as a side salad with other Mediterranean dishes.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Yield: 4 -6 servings

1x2x3x

Cook Mode

Ingredients

For the bulgur:

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups boiling water

For the salad:

• Zest and juice of one lemon
• 2 cups parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup mint, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped small
• 2 large tomatoes (or 3 smaller tomatoes), chopped small
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Prepare bulgur: Combine bulgur and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over bulgur. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, uncover and pour bulgur into a fine-mesh sieve to drain any excess water.
• Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients (chop ALL the things).
• Combine bulgur, parsley, mint, cucumber and tomatoes. Top with lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
• Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. (You can always squeeze some more lemon juice over it to brighten it up again.)

Notes

Bulgur Wheat - This is made from the cracked whole grains of different wheat species. It's par-boiled and dried and has a mild, nutty flavor and a chewy texture. You can usually find it with other grains in your grocery store.

Parsley - You need TWO full cups of chopped parsley for this recipe. Yes, that's a lot.

Mint - You also need ½ cup of chopped mint, so make sure you buy enough at the store!

Cucumber - A regular cucumber or a hot house/seedless cucumber will work here. If yours has a lot of large seeds, you can scoop some out before chopping it.

Tomatoes - Regular vine ripe tomatoes work great here or use roma tomatoes.

Leftovers - Leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Stir well before serving.

Add-ins - Try these optional add-ins if desired:

• 1 cup rinsed and drained chick peas (or homemade)
• ½ cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
• ¼ cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, etc.)
• 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken or cooked, crumbled sausage

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 378mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g

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