How To Make The Best Tabbouleh
Learn how to make delicious, authentic tabbouleh at home! This tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is even better than your favorite Lebanese restaurant. The recipe yields 6 servings (a little over 1 cup each).
Tabbouleh is a super fresh herb and bulgur salad, with parsley being the number one ingredient. It’s dotted with diced cucumber and tomato and dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice.
It’s refreshing, light, and packed with healthy ingredients.
Tabbouleh Ingredients
½ cup bulgur
1 cup diced cucumber (1 small-to-medium)
1 cup diced tomato* (1 large)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
3 medium bunches of curly parsley
⅓ cup (⅔ ounce) chopped fresh mint (optional but recommended—you can chop it in the food processor with the parsley)
⅓ cup thinly sliced green onion
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
Instructions
Cook or soak the bulgur until tender according to package directions. Drain off any excess water, and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, combine the diced cucumber and tomato in a medium bowl with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir, and let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes or until you’re ready to mix the salad.
To prepare the parsley, cut off the thick stems. Then, finely chop the parsley and remaining stems—you can do this by hand, but it’s much easier in a food processor with the standard “S” blade. Process 1 bunch at a time (it should yield about 1 cup chopped), transferring the chopped parsley to a large serving bowl before proceeding with the next.
Add the cooled bulgur, chopped fresh mint (if using), and green onion to the bowl of parsley. Strain off and discard the cucumber and tomato juice that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl (this ensures that your tabbouleh isn’t too watery). Add the strained cucumber and tomato to the bowl.
Whisk together the olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a small measuring cup or bowl. Pour it into the salad and stir to combine. Taste and adjust if necessary—add another tablespoon of lemon juice for zing or salt for more overall flavor.
If you have the time, let the salad rest for 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors mingle. Otherwise, you can serve it immediately or chill it for later. Tabbouleh will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
How to Make the Best Tabbouleh
Salt your tomato and cucumber, and drain off the excess juice.
Fortunately, this doesn’t take any extra time. Tomato and cucumber release a lot of moisture when exposed to salt and will make your tabbouleh way too watery if you do not drain it off.
Combine the tomato and cucumber in a bowl with some salt (you’ll find these instructions in the recipe below), and set it aside while you chop the parsley. Drain off the excess juice before you stir the salad together. Easy! Use lots of parsley and chop it finely.
This recipe calls for three bunches of parsley; the easiest way to chop that much is in your food processor. You can do it by hand, but it will take a while. Don’t worry about removing the thin parsley stems—they offer a lot of great flavors. Season sufficiently with lemon juice and salt.
Tabbouleh should be zingy and full of flavor, and you’ll need to use enough lemon and salt to get there.
Tabbouleh Serving Suggestions
Tabbouleh is typically served chilled or at room temperature. It’s a perfect salad with Mediterranean/Middle Eastern meals. Here are a few suggestions:
Dips and spreads: Creamy Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Tzatziki, Tahini Sauce
Crispy Baked Falafel
Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
Mujaddara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Dukkah with bread and olive oil
Please let us know how your tabbouleh turns out in the comments!
