Tabouli Salad made with bulgur, tomatoes, mint, lemon and olive oil with lots and lots of fresh parsley. This is the perfect easy side dish for your favorite middle eastern cooking.
Tabouli Salad
This Tabouli Salad is pretty near and dear to my heart and I grew up watching the matriarchs of our family pouring their energy into making it. There’s nothing difficult about this salad, but the process of mincing the ingredients is tedious, which makes it a popular option for people to buy pre-made or in restaurants.
Watching my mom and grandmother sitting in front of a pile of parsley and mint being diced smaller and smaller I was taught the most important thing about tabbouli or tabbouleh (as some people say it) is the size of the dice.
The smart points in this recipe are all from the bulgur and the olive oil in the recipe. If you have a sensitivity to strong vinaigrettes you can certainly add more olive oil to the recipe, but of course the points would increase.
With regards to the bulgur. This is a bit of a hot button issue for people. Classic tabbouli isn’t overwhelming in the amount of bulgur (in fact I toyed with even less bulgur in this recipe)
Do you cook bulgur?
No, bulgur is a great that doesn’t require cooking. It soaks in water until softened before being eaten.
Is tabbouleh good for you?
Absolutely, aside from the olive oil in the dressing the dish is full of vitamins from the fresh ingredients. You also aren’t wasting a lot of stomach space on less healthy “greens” like iceberg or romaine. The deeper greens of the parsley are more full of vitamins per bite.
Can you freeze tabouli (tabbouleh)?
No, you can’t freeze this salad without creating a soggy mess. The parsley will disintegrate, the tomatoes will turn to mush and the whole salad will taste awful. This is best enjoyed fresh since tomatoes also turn mealy in the fridge.
Is tabbouleh vegan?
Yes, it absolutely is naturally vegan.
Why is there two spellings for tabouli (tabbouleh)? This is a function of different cultures having a sense of ownership of the dish and having local/regional spellings for it. It is the same as kebab or kebob, but the dish itself is the same.
Best dishes to serve with tabouli? We love to serve hummus, beef or chicken kebabs, pickled turnips and other middle eastern classic recipes with this dish.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bulgur
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 4 stalks green onion minced
- 1 cup fresh parsley minced
- 3 roma tomatoes chopped finely
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 20 fresh mint leaves minced
Instructions
- Rinse and soak bulgur until soft, about 30 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to a cup and whisk.
- Drain the bulgur well, and add in the rest of the ingredients including the dressing.
- Stir gently and let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
This salad looks so delicious!
This salad is absolutely gorgeous, and I can’t believe it’s so low in points! Can’t wait to try it!
I love using bulgur since it doesn’t have to cook, and this salad looks fantastic!!
Such a perfect salad! Bursting with flavors!
This looks amazing! I love that this also has a special memory attached for you.
Thanks, Demeter!
I love trying new salads! This one is a must try!
This sounds interesting! I would love to try it!
This is one of my favorite salad. It is light and refreshing. I usually buy from a restaurant, but wanted to try making it and I am so happy I did.
So glad you enjoyed it, Justina! Food’s always better when you make it yourself!
hi, I was wondering what you mean by 4 stalks of green onion? Did you mean like 4 whole pieces. 4 bulbs with the 2 pieces of onion that connects to it?
This is the first time I have seen tabbouleh made the way my Syrian Aunts made it. More bulgur (bulva) than parsley. Ours was never green looking. Thank you.