Tabouli Salad (Tabbouleh)

How to make authentic, Lebanese-style Tabouli (Tabbouleh) with fresh parsley, mint, dill, bulgur wheat, and finely chopped tomatoes and onions, tossed in a lemon-olive oil dressing. Video. Vegan.  

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.  Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable.  Kahlil Gibran 

When people ask me, what my favorite food is, my answer is always the same. My mother’s Tabouli. My Finnish mother Lea, learned how to make Tabouli for my Egyptian father from their family friend, Nadia, who was from Lebanon. And of course, Nadia taught her an authentic Lebanese version, which in our household became the only version that ever mattered after that. Tabbouli was on regular rotation for the first 20 years of my existence, an oddity with most of my childhood friends who would come over for dinner.

After I moved away from home, it was the one dish I yearned for the most, and none other could compare. Every time I visited, it was my mother’s love gift to me. She would make a double batch and let me gorge and refill my stores, teasing me that I was turning green!  I can’t tell you how nourishing, cleansing and healing it felt to my body- and my hope is that somehow you feel this too.

Watch How to make Tabouli | video!

WHAT is tabouli?

Tabouli is a middle eastern salad made of parsley, bulgur wheat, onions, and tomatoes, originating from the mountains of Lebanon and Syria. Its popularity has spread across the Middle East and Mediterranean countries, where different variations can be found.

Tabbouleh Recipe Ingredients

1. Fresh Parsley (curly or flat-leaf) The main ingredient in tabouli is parsley! Lebanese tabouli has more parsley than bulgar, and actually looks green. My mother would use curly parsley, she felt it heals the dressing better, but I prefer flat leaf. A combo is nice too.
2. Fresh tomatoes- vine-ripened summer tomatoes offer up the best flavor in this salad recipe!
3. Green onions (scallions) add a nice savory bite- you can also add diced onion.
4. Fresh herbs: fresh mint leaves and/or fresh dill add even more brightness and flavor.
5. Bulgur wheat also called cracked wheat- or if gluten-free, feel free to use quinoa.
6. Fresh Lemon Juice. Always use freshly squeezed vs. bottled for the best flavor.
7. Extra virgin olive oil
8. Salt, black pepper and Spices: Lebanese 7-spice ( see recipe below)
9. Optional additions: cucumber, olives, avocado, feta cheese, other vegetables!

 

How to make Tabouli

Step 1: Soak the Bulgar wheat.

If using medium grain bulgur as you see here, soak equal parts bulgar and boiling water in a bowl, and cover with a lid while you prep the salad. If using fine grain bulgur (traditional) you can just toss it right into the salad. It will soften, but not fully cook, allowing the bulgur to soak up some of the lovely juices from the salad.

Step 2: Chop chop chop!

Wash whole bunches of parsley under cool running water, holding them like a bouquet of flowers, letting any grit run down the stem end. Take the washed bunches outside and fling out the water. This is the fastest way to wash without disturbing the parsley bunch, making the cutting neat and tidy. You can also use a food processor if you like. I add thin stems. Place this in a large bowl.

Step 3: Dice finely. 

This is how my mom taught me to dice a tomato. It’s not the way you’ll learn in culinary school, but I like this way better. Keep the stem side intact. Then turn it on its side and dice finely. A sharp knife makes all the difference here! Add to the bowl.

Step 4: Make a batch of Middle Eastern 7 Spice.

You can use whole spices, toast, and grind, or for speed, use ground spices. Or you can skip this and simply use a combo of allspice and cinnamon. This will add a beautiful, subtle flavor that will elevate your tabouli.

 

Step 5: Combine. Add everything to the bowl and dress with salt, lemon juice and good olive oil. Adjust the salt and lemon until it is just right. You want it fairly lemony and slightly salty- which will both out mellow as the bulgar has a chance to soak it up a bit. Always re-taste before serving!

Let the tabouli salad sit in the fridge a good 1-2 hours before serving, allowing the bulgar to soak up the juices from the tomatoes and lemon, and the parsley to soften and lose any bitterness.

Tabouli will keep for up to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.

Tabbouleh Salad Tips

• Authentic Lebanese Tabouli is mostly parsley, with a little bit of bulgur. Not the other way around. Yes, of course, you can substitute cooked quinoa, but only add a little bit. Otherwise, it’s a “quinoa salad” and not really Tabouli. 😉 Authentic Lebanese Tabouli typically does not contain cucumbers, but both my mom and I began adding them and love the crisp texture and coolness it brings. Fresh mint is a must, dill is optional but really tasty.
• A note on parsley: Flat leaf or curly? Growing up my mother used curly parsley. I’m not sure if this is because that is all that was available back in the ’70s, but I remember when I questioned her about it later, she said she liked the way curly parsley cradled the grain. Perhaps she has a point, but I use flat-leaf parsley for ease of cutting – so basically use what you prefer, both work great.
• A note on Bulgur: Typically, authentic Lebanese Tabouli is made with fine grain bulgur wheat. What is nice about this is you can toss this right into the salad (without cooking first) and it will soak up all the lovely tomato and lemon juices. I couldn’t find fine-grain bulgur where I am right now, and thought, maybe you can’t either, so I’ll show you how to make it with medium grain bulgur wheat which appears to be more accessible at mainstream grocery stores.
• The last but perhaps most important thing that makes this Lebanese  Tabouli “authentic” is the addition of 7-Spice (or a little cinnamon and allspice). The spice is so subtle, like a whisper, but it elevates the tabouli beyond belief and gives it the crave-ability factor. Try it and see!

How to serve Tabouli Salad

1. Serve as a salad on its own or over chopped romaine lettuce leaves, or in a lettuce leaf!
2. Serve as a side dish with Easy Grilled Chicken Shawarma, or Lebanese Chicken with 7-Spice
3. Spoon the flavorful tabouli into warm pita bread with a slathering of baba ganoush or hummus, and a falafel.

How to store Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is best served the day it is made; however, leftover Tabbouleh will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

FAQs

On the homefront:  I knew when we brought our cat Cookie down to California that it would be a one-way trip. She’s the old kitty we inherited from my mother 10 years ago, and believe me when I tell you, she was ancient when we got her. We had a bit of a rough start, Cookie and I. She had always been a cranky, “one-person cat”- all spit and vinegar when it came to anyone else. So when my mom passed, she immediately fled our home- disappearing into a new city, devastated, and quite disappointed that I was the backup plan. When she finally returned 10 days later, she had lost half her body weight. It was the first time she let me pick her up and the first time I felt a tenderness toward her. From that day forward, we began to get to know each other, and eventually form a bond. Looking back I see how much we needed each other, how each of us held a piece of my mom, for the other.  We had a ritual. She’s sit on my lap first thing in the morning and became my morning touchstone, bringing me to the present,  opening my heart with her loving presence. Even if nothing else got accomplished that day, those moments together, somehow felt “enough”.  A few days ago, she purred her way, to the other side, in my arms.  She lived a long life- 23 years?! I miss her little warm purring body more than I can articulate…

More recipes you’ll love!

• Farro Tabbouleh Salad
• Fattoush
• Lentil Tabouli Salad
• Farro Salad with Kale, Almonds and Pomegranate (Winter tabouli) 
• Quinoa Asparagus Salad (aka Spring Tabouli)
• Favorite Quinoa Salad

I  hope you enjoy this Tabouli salad and hope it brings you as much joy as has brought me!

xoxoxo

Sylvia

 

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