Tabbouleh or Tabouli is the quintessential Middle Eastern salad, made of chopped parsley, diced tomatoes, and bulgur wheat, and seasoned with olive oil and fresh lime juice.
I first posted this tabbouleh or tabouli salad recipe, back in 2010. At that time, living in Southern California, I used to grow all the produce to make it, in my own kitchen garden.
However, now that I live in lovely but not so bucolic Miami, I just shop for fresh local produce and keep making humongous tabbouleh bowls because this is, by far, my favorite salad. Following is my original post.
One of the reasons I grow parsley more than any other fresh herb is because of this salad. In my house, this is called “the parsley thing.” Every time I make it, my sybarite gourmet son, Andrés Ignacio, who is almost 9 years old and like me, is a tabbouleh killer, starts to get around the kitchen pickings the parsley leaves and doesn’t stop until he gets the first bowl.
He learned to eat this salad since he was a baby. I remember the day I was having tabbouleh and he was 9-month old. He was sitting in his baby-eating chair, watching me eat and began drooling. So I let him sample it and that was love at first bite!
This is a classic Middle Eastern dish. For me, tabouli salad is the quintessential salad: fresh, crispy, colorful and full of flavor. The freshness comes from the parsley and the mint. The crispiness comes from the parsley and the bulgur. The color comes from the combination of the green herbs, the red ripe but firm tomatoes and the purple-red onions, all of them contrasting with the plain neutral bulgur. The flavor is given by mixing all the ingredients with the simplest seasoning: olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt. What can be better than this?
About Bulgur
A main, characteristic, ingredient of this salad is bulgur. This is a cereal made from several different kinds of wheat. It is usually confused with cracked wheat, but the bulgur is parboiled and then dried.
Bulgur is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern, Indian and Mediterranean cuisines. It comes in different grinds: #1 is fine, #2 is medium, #3 is coarse and #4 is extra coarse.
The bulgur for tabbouleh is #2 and it can be found in Middle Eastern specialty stores as well as in natural food stores.
You can make tabbouleh with red or green onions. Some people use just regular yellow onions. I prefer the red-purple ones because their flavor is sweeter and more mellow. However, when I don’t have red onions handily, I use the green ones.
How to Make the Quintessential Middle Eastern Salad
Cutting is crucial: dice the tomatoes and finely chop the onions and herbs. My secret to getting the parley perfectly chopped was to pick the leaves and soak them in iced water, dry it with the help of a salad spinner and then chop them in a food processor (I use my Cuisinart – affiliate link) by pulsing 3-5 times, being very careful not to over-process. More recently, I have discovered that adding some of the steams doesn’t hurt.
Tabbouleh goes perfect with Middle Eastern food: baba ganoush, kibbe, pita bread, hummus, falafel, shawarmas and seekh kebabs. I can have it with my majadra (lentil and rice) and that is heaven.
Following is a list of utensils and ingredients to make my tabouli recipe. You can easily find them online using my Amazon Affiliate Program:
- Wooden cutting board
- Tomato knife
- Food processor
- Salad spinner
- Salad bowl
- Lemon lime squeezer
- Bulgur Wheat
- Extra virgin olive oil
Tabbouleh or Tabouli Salad Recipe
Following is my recipe. Thank you for subscribing to my Youtube channel and visiting my Amazon Store.
Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- ½ cup of bulgur #2
- 2 cups of water
- 4 cups of parsley leaves chopped
- ½ cup of mint leaves finely chopped
- ¾ cup of red onion or 10 green onions finely chopped the white part and some of the green
- 2 cups of tomatoes finely diced
- 1/3 cup of fresh lime juice
- 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Soak the bulgur in the water for 10-15 minutes.
- Drain the bulgur in a fine colander, pressing to squeeze the water out.
- Combine all the ingredients in a big salad bowl.
- Season with olive oil, lime juice and salt to taste.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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Hungry for more Middle Eastern recipes? Check these out:
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I am a writer who cooks or a cook who writes: the order of the qualities does not alter the product. Since 2010 I made SAVOIR FAIRE the place where my two passions converge and now I develop recipes professionally and work as a strategist and creator of digital content, including the production of cooking videos.
This tabouli salad is delicious and super refreshing.
Yessssss!
I often go to the Mediterranean food stores and I was confused about bulgur, now I know! I think I love the salad, because all the ingredientes are delicious but the parsley is something special for me. I put ir everywhere.
Im a parsley person too!
Tabbouleh! Qué excelente opción para seguir comiendo saludable con una variedad nueva de ensaladas, al menos para mí.
Gracias!
Laura
Yesssss!
It’s so tasty! The tabbouleh salad is one of my favorite recipes. Thank you.
Mine too!
This is really interesting, Enri! I love tabbouleh, but I always wondered about the difference between bulgur and wheat! Now I know. Thank you
Thank you!
La ensalada más rica y light ever. Me encanta como tú la preparas
Gracias querida!
So colorful and beautiful. It looks really refreshing too.
One of my favorite salads ever, so fresh and delish!
Yesssss!
I’ve had this before but never made myself! Nothing like a fresh salad and parsley has so many benefits for the body too!
Give it a try and you’ll love it my friend!
I don’t know why I am so indulged with this recipe. Maybe because of the colors or maybe because I know it will taste so good. Oh I know! It’s because of both.
Hahahaha! And the texture! So crispy! Thank you for stopping by!
This salad looks absolutely amazing! I’d love to add avocado to it. Always obsessed with avocado… I know, I can’t help it lol I tried Tabbouleh a few months ago and I really liked it.
Candace Hampton
http://www.thebeautybeau.com
I have to try that avocado addition! Yum!
I’ve never had a salad like this before. It’s looks delicious. I know my mom would love it because of all the parsley and mint. She grows both of those herbs in her garden every year. I think I will try to get the bulgur and test it out.
Excellebt Jennifer. You can also make it with quinoa… and nothing like growing your own herbs!
I adore tabbouleh!! Thanks for reminding me of my favorite salad! I’m definitely making this soon.
Yessss! Plant some parsley!
I haven’t tried this salad before, but it looks refreshing. I’d like to give it a try sometime for my husband. Minus the tomatoes. He’s allergic
Try a tomato-free version for him, and give a try the full version. you’ll love it!
I love to eat tabouli when I go out! Every time I make it at home, however, it always is so bitter to me. Do you have any idea on what I may be doing wrong?
Bitter? I never heard that. There is nothing bitter in any of the ingredients… maybe over chopping? Try this version and let me know how it works…
So colorful and just looks delicious! I can’t wait to try this!
Thank you! You’ll love it!
We’re big fans of salad, especially during the summer. I’ll have to try making tabbouleh, it seems pretty easy enough.
You’ll love it!
Wow! I have always heard about Tabouli salad but never knew what it looked like or what it consisted of. I must say that my mouth is watering just looking at it. Parsley is a very interesting ingredient in this salad.
Thank you my dear!
I am a big fan of tabbouleh. I like your rendition…and as always…the parsley makes the dish. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Ceci!
Um that looks absolutely delish! I bet this would be great with the barbecue I’m having Sunday. Thanks for the rec!
Thank you for stopping by Krysten!
I’ve never had a chance to try this salad! It’s a perfect side dish for summer! I may give it a try this season! 🙂
You’ll love it Natalia!
That is a lot of parsley. I never knew that you could use parsley like a vegetable, this salad looks so good.
Yes it it! This is an amazing salad Tara! Thanks for stopping by!
I have never seen anything like this. I love trying new salads and this tabbouleh salad is so unique and different. Can’t wait to give it a try.
Go for it Krista!
Now this sounds like an absolutely delicious looking idea for a meal. I love the colours in it and just want to take a bite and see how it would taste now!
Thank you Sarah!
Bueno que receta más fresca para la temporada que se nos acerca a veces no te pasa que te quedas en blanco sin saber que cocinar pues esta me parece una idea genial
A mi me pasa al reves: que siempre tengo muchas ideas para cocinar y nunca tengo el tiempo que quisiera. So, ahora no me estreso y pienso: una receta a la vez Enri… Gracias por visitar y comentar Monica.
Wow mi ensalada favorita. Tan fresca y llena de sabor!!!
Es lo máximo y también es de mis ensaladas favoritas! Gracias por visitar Patty.
¡No sabía que era tan fácil hacerla! Esta semana la pruebo. ¡Me encanta la comida de Medio Oriente!
Somos dos Anita.
Hola Enri!!!!
Que deliciosa receta, me comería un plato lleno de Tabbouleh, tengo mucho tiempo que no veo por acá el cuscús, pero voy a hacer tu receta con la sugerencia de la quinoa!!!!!! Besitos desde Venezuela
Esta receta es viejisima. Yo ahora solo lo hago con quinoa y es una divinidad. Que gusto verte por aqui querida Melba.
Yo lo vine a comer en Miami. Acabo de comprar un bulgur turco en NY. Voy a agarrar un poquito para hacerlo.
Yo soy super tabulera! Gracias por visitar Verito!
Looks so yummy and refreshing, perfect for the summer.
Yessss! Thank you Blanquita for stopping by.