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15 minutes
4.75 from 8 votes

Tabbouleh Salad

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Tabbouleh Salad – a traditional refreshing tabbouleh salad featuring bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and loads of parsley and mint dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Tabbouleh Salad - a traditional refreshing tabbouleh salad featuring bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and loads of parsley and mint dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

I learned about tabbouleh salad a long time ago when I was in university and I had a friend who was from Lebanon. Her and her brother had a party once to which I was invited and one of the dishes served there was this tabbouleh salad. Back then when I was a student I hated parsley or any herbs for that matter, but once I tasted this salad I fell in love with it. It’s so refreshing, and I love the mint and the lemon flavor in it. I love Arabic flavors and ingredients to begin with, all the lemon, olive oil, fresh veggies, cumin, sumac, everything is just so delicious.

This is a salad we make quite often at home, it’s easy to make, and you can actually enjoy it as a meal, though we always serve it with some sort of meat. We’re no vegetarians by any means. Today I served this with chicken shawarma, stay tuned for that recipe because it’s to die for!

Tabbouleh Salad - a traditional refreshing tabbouleh salad featuring bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and loads of parsley and mint dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

So I want to stress out with the salad to not be afraid of the parsley and the mint. This salad is about the parsley and the mint, don’t think about it as just a garnish. Parsley and mint are key ingredients in this salad and without them it just would not be tabbouleh salad.

I chose to cook the bulgur here, but another option is to soak it in the lemon juice and olive oil. It’s up to you how you decide to do it. In either case the bulgur is also a necessary ingredient, though many times it’s replaced with couscous. Again up to you how you do it, but if you want more of a traditional tabbouleh then go with the bulgur.

Tabbouleh Salad - a traditional refreshing tabbouleh salad featuring bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and loads of parsley and mint dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

If you guys love this recipe, and most importantly make it yourselves, please let us know. Take a picture and tag it #jocooks on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!

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Tabbouleh Salad

4.75 from 8 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 4
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Tabbouleh Salad - a traditional refreshing tabbouleh salad featuring bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and loads of parsley and mint dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup bulgur wheat uncooked
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 or 2 lemons, depending on size
  • 3 cups tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 English cucumber about 1 cup, chopped
  • 1/4 cup green onions about 7 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add water to a small pot and bring water to boil. When the water is boiling add the bulgur and cover. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally. Let the bulgur cool.
  • Add bulgur to a large bowl, then add remaining ingredients. Toss well.

Recipe Notes

Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 215kcal (11%)Carbohydrates: 21g (7%)Protein: 4g (8%)Fat: 14g (22%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Sodium: 19mg (1%)Potassium: 482mg (14%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 1784IU (36%)Vitamin C: 34mg (41%)Calcium: 45mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Course:Salad
Cuisine:Middle Eastern
Keyword:salad recipe, tabbouleh salad
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
Nutrition Facts
Tabbouleh Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 215 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 19mg1%
Potassium 482mg14%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 1784IU36%
Vitamin C 34mg41%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tabbouleh Salad - a traditional refreshing tabbouleh salad featuring bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber and loads of parsley and mint dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. Sylvia says

    I just finished making this salad for a noon potluck. It will chill in the fridge for several hours before serving. I doubled the amount of bulgur while increasing the olive oil and lemon juice to 1/3 cup each.

    Reply

  2. Jodi says

    This was incredible my husband the chef asked me to make it again
    I made it with the garlic sauce and the salad mentioned and threw in a Greek salad too
    Made it with bone in skin on thighs then shredded it before we ate
    This is a keeper soooooo good

    Reply

  3. Heather says

    Love this recipe…do to my GF diet I use quinoa in place of the bulgur wheat still comes out wonderfully. We top our chicken shawarma with this salad and it’s heaven.

    Reply

  4. Mere says

    I made this tonight. Very yummy! I caught myself going back for spoonful after spoonful before I put it in the serving dish:) I did substitute couscous for bulgur, no other changes were made to the recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

  5. Heather says

    Recipe doesn’t specify how much parsley or mint (or if it does, it doesn’t show up on my phone.. Just looks like a number should be there but it isn’t). So I winged it. Tastes ok.

    Reply

  6. Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

    One of my faves here to be sure! I never make it though…so spoiled by a local Lebanese restaurant that has wonderful tabbouleh and spares me the chopping! But right now with the farmer’s market in full swing, I really should make it myself…going to try your recipe! 🙂

    Reply

  8. Chris Pereira says

    You mentioned in the intro, that the salad had cumin and sumac in it, but I don’t see these in the ingredients list. Also, have you ever tried making this with Quinoa?

    Reply

    • jo says

      Hi Chris,
      There’s no cumin or sumac in this recipe, I mentioned I love arabic flavors which include cumin and sumac. 🙂

      Reply

  10. Guadalupe Holt says

    I live in Dominican Republic and as we have summer weather the whole year my mother likes to makes tabbouleh often cause is so refreshing and effortless, but never tried before with mint on it, thanks for share this recipe, gotta try.

    Reply

  12. ks grandma says

    This was one of my biggest “woe is me” moments when I began to have gluten sensitivity issues. Now I make it with quinoa and continue to enjoy it a lot.

    Reply
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