Tabbouleh is a Lebanese parsley and bulgur salad that’s traditionally served as part of a mezze, offering a bright counterpoint to rich, creamy dips and braised dishes. During my time cooking in the Middle East, I had the privilege of learning this dish from the Lebanese and Syrian chefs I worked with, who emphasized that authentic tabbouleh is a parsley salad, lightly flecked with fine bulgur, not the other way around. Ripe tomatoes add bursts of juicy sweetness, while a lemony olive oil dressing soaks into the grains for a bright, balanced finish. Although cucumber isn’t a traditional ingredient, I like to add a small amount for its refreshing crunch. Over the years, I’ve made this Tabbouleh recipe my own, and these small techniques make this version shine.
- Why My Recipe Works
- Tabbouleh Pronunciation
- Ingredients
- How to Make Tabbouleh
- Serve This With
- 📖 Recipe
- Comments
Why My Recipe Works
- Bulgur soaked in dressing: Unlike cracked wheat, bulgar has been cooked before drying, so there’s no need to boil it. I like to rehydrate the bulgur directly in the dressing, which infuses the cracked grain with a citrusy flavor while retaining a nice, firm texture.
- Mostly parsley: Think of tabbouleh as a parsley salad with some bulgar added for texture.
- Balance of textures: I like complementing my tabbouleh salad with juicy tomatoes, crisp red onions, and crunchy cucumbers for a contrast of texture and colors.
Tabbouleh Pronunciation
In Levantine Arabic, تبّولة (/tɐˈbbuːle/ ) is pronounced ta-bboo-leh . Start with a light “t,” then hold the double “b” for an extra beat to stress the geminated consonant. Let the middle vowel stretch into a long “oo,” like in “food,” and end with a soft, relaxed “leh,” where the final “e” is quick, like the “e” in “let.”
Ingredients
- Bulgur Wheat - Bulgur is wheat that’s been cooked and dried before being cracked into small pieces. Use fine or medium grind for the best texture; it should soften without heat, but you may need to adjust the soaking time depending on the coarseness of your bulgur. Cooked quinoa, cracked wheat, and cous cous are all common substitutes that will work.
- Parsley - Flat-leaf parsley works best, but if you can’t find it, curly parsley will work as well. Some people also like to add fresh mint leaves.
- Lebanese Cucumbers - While it’s not a traditional ingredient in Lebanese tabbouleh, I like adding cucumbers for their crisp, cool crunch.
- Tomatoes - Choose ripe, flavorful ones; they bring juiciness and sweetness to the mix. If tomatoes aren’t in season, use cherry tomatoes.
- Red onion - Adds color, crispness, and a sweet pungent taste. If your onions are too sharp, you can tame them by soaking them in water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes.
- Lemon - I use both lemon juice and zest for both the bright acidity and citrusy aroma. The acid not only adds zing to the dressing but also softens the bulgur as it marinates.
- Olive Oil - Acts as the fat to balance the acidity of the lemon while giving the dressing body so it can coat all of the ingredients and keep the salad from getting watery.
- Salt and Black Pepper - I prefer to keep the seasonings simple for this parsley salad.
How to Make Tabbouleh
To make the dressing for this parsley and bulgar salad, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the cracked bulgur directly into this dressing and let it soak for 1-2 hours (it may take longer if your bulgur is cracked into larger pieces). This technique skips cooking and allows the bulgur to slowly hydrate while soaking up all that bright, tangy flavor.
While the bulgur soaks, prepare the other ingredients. If your red onion tastes particularly strong, dice it and soak it in cold water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes. This simple step neutralizes the volatile sulfur compounds that can make raw onion harsh.
Next, wash and dry your parsley thoroughly-it’s essential that it’s bone-dry, or you’ll end up with a watery salad. Roll the leaves tightly like a cigar and slice them thin, then chop crosswise so the pieces are fine but not mush. This helps the parsley mix evenly and feel tender in each bite.
Once the bulgur is ready, toss it with the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and onion. Let the tabbouleh sit for 15-30 minutes for the flavors to meld, or refrigerate it overnight to allow the flavors to fully develop.
Serve This With
Round out a mezze platter by pairing this parsley and bulgur salad with a few more bold, vibrant sides. Labneh, a creamy yogurt cheese , offers a tangy counterpoint to the salad’s herbaceous notes. My Walnut and Pepper Muhammara adds a delightfully sweet and smoky dimension, while Eggplant Mutabbal provides richness, layering silky roasted eggplant with nutty tahini. Loubieh bi Zeit braises green beans slowly in olive oil until tender, mellow, and deeply savory. For a hearty main, Egyptian Molokhia delivers a robustly savory green stew with roasted chicken and rice, which balances perfectly against the salad’s brightness. Whatever you do, be sure to prepare plenty of fluffy pita to scoop up all these delightful flavors.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (coarsely ground)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cracked bulgur
- ½ red onion (finely diced)
- 140 grams flat-leaf parsley
- 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers (~2 cucumbers, cubed)
- 225 grams tomatoes (~2 tomatoes, cubed)
Instructions
- Whisk 1 teaspoon lemon zest , ¼ cup lemon juice , ¼ cup olive oil , ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl, then add ¼ cup cracked bulgur . Let this soak for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the coarseness of your bulgur and how soft you want it.
- If the raw onion is too strong for your tastes, chop and soak ½ red onion in cold water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels before using them in the salad.
- Wash 140 grams flat-leaf parsley , then use a salad spinner or paper towels to thoroughly dry it. Remove all the stems, then grab a handful and roll it up and slice the roll as thinly as possible. Chop the parsley in the opposite direction to the direction you sliced and you should get it pretty evenly chopped.
- Add the parsley to a large bowl along with 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers , 225 grams tomatoes , and the onions. Add the soaked bulgur along with the dressing and toss everything together. Tabouleh tastes fresh the day it’s made, but if you let it sit overnight, the flavors have a chance to meld, and it tastes even better.
Nutrition Facts
Tabbouleh (Parsley & Bulgar Salad)
Equipment
- 1 Large Glass Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spoonula
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (coarsely ground)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cracked bulgur
- ½ red onion (finely diced)
- 140 grams flat-leaf parsley
- 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers (~2 cucumbers, cubed)
- 225 grams tomatoes (~2 tomatoes, cubed)
Instructions
- Whisk 1 teaspoon lemon zest , ¼ cup lemon juice , ¼ cup olive oil , ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl, then add ¼ cup cracked bulgur . Let this soak for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the coarseness of your bulgur and how soft you want it. 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ cup cracked bulgur
- If the raw onion is too strong for your tastes, chop and soak ½ red onion in cold water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels before using them in the salad. ½ red onion
- Wash 140 grams flat-leaf parsley , then use a salad spinner or paper towels to thoroughly dry it. Remove all the stems, then grab a handful and roll it up and slice the roll as thinly as possible. Chop the parsley in the opposite direction to the direction you sliced and you should get it pretty evenly chopped. 140 grams flat-leaf parsley
- Add the parsley to a large bowl along with 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers , 225 grams tomatoes , and the onions. Add the soaked bulgur along with the dressing and toss everything together. Tabouleh tastes fresh the day it’s made, but if you let it sit overnight, the flavors have a chance to meld, and it tastes even better. 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers, 225 grams tomatoes
