This tabbouleh recipe is a bulgur wheat salad made with fresh herbs, tomatoes and cucumber, all tossed together in a simple lemon dressing. A delicious and healthy side dish that pairs perfectly with a variety of Mediterranean dishes.
When I’m looking for a fresh and light salad that won’t weigh me down, I make Israeli salad, quinoa salad and this classic tabbouleh (also known as tabouli!).
My local Mediterranean restaurant makes the most delicious platter with hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, spanakopita, olives and many other delicious specialties. I wanted to make these delicious appetizers at home. I researched and taste tested in the kitchen to develop my favorite versions of these recipes. The project was a success and I developed some fantastic recipes! Seriously, I make them all the time!
My fresh, homemade hummus is rich, creamy and delicious. This baba ghanoush is the very best version I have ever tasted. I balance these dips with my cool and delicious tzatziki sauce. All these dips are great paired with some pita bread and hot spanakopita or falafel. I also developed a light and refreshing tabbouleh. It’s versatile side dish that’s easy to make and bursting with flavor! If you want to serve these for a special dinner or party with a fancier presentation, check out my Mediterranean mezze platter.
Table of Contents
Tabbouleh Ingredients
To make tabbouleh you will need bulgur wheat, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, mint, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
How Do You Make Tabbouleh?
This recipe starts with bulgur wheat, which soaks in hot water until it’s soft and tender. The bulgur is combined with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, green onions, cucumber and mint. A simple mixture of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper serves as the dressing for this dish. Chill the salad until you’re ready to serve it, then enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Tabbouleh Salad
- Bulgur wheat is available in most grocery stores. I typically buy mine in the bulk bins.
- This recipe requires quite a bit of chopping to get the fine texture that’s so traditional with this salad. To save a little time, you can use the food processor to chop the parsley.
- I like to use English cucumbers in this dish, but small Persian cucumbers are also a great choice.
- The fresh mint leaves in this salad are an optional addition. I like the fresh taste mint provides, but it can sometimes be a little strong for some people.
Quick Tip
This salad tastes best when it has some time to sit so that the bulgur can absorb the dressing. I recommend making it at least one hour before you plan to serve it.
Recipe FAQS
Tabbouleh is made of bulgur wheat with small chopped veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers. It’s flavored with parsley, mint, lemon and olive oil.
If you can’t find bulgur, you can substitute couscous or quinoa for a similar effect.
Tabbouleh is a light and healthy salad featuring bulgur wheat which is a whole wheat that is cracked and partially boiled so it can be cooked quickly. It’s a whole grain with plenty of protein and nutrients. The salad also contains veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers that are perfect for a healthy meal.
You can store tabbouleh in a sealed container in a refrigerator for three days after you make the salad.
Follow Me
Salad Variations
This is the traditional way to serve tabbouleh, but I sometimes add other ingredients to my salad to turn it into more of a main course offering.
- Protein: Try adding chopped cooked chicken or shrimp to your salad.
- Cheese: I like to add 1/2 cup finely crumbled feta cheese to the mix.
- Beans: This salad is great with the addition of 1 cup of canned chickpeas.
- Vegetables: You can add other finely chopped veggies such as bell peppers, red onion, or try using cherry tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes. You can use flat-leaf parsley if you don’t have curly parsley.
Tabbouleh salad is a unique and unexpected offering for parties, potlucks or any other event where you need a lighter salad to accompany the meal.
More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Green Bean Salad
18 mins
Kale Salad with Apples
21 mins
Caprese Salad Recipe
11 mins
Italian Pasta Salad
25 mins
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Tabbouleh Salad Video
Tabbouleh Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup bulgur wheat
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup English cucumber finely diced
- 1 1/4 cups Roma tomatoes seeded and finely diced
- 1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced
- 1 cup curly parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint finely chopped (optional)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place the bulgur wheat and boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let it sit for 45 minutes or until the wheat has softened. Drain off any excess liquid
- Add the cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, parsley and mint to the bowl with the bulgur wheat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Cover the salad and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Serve.
Notes
- Bulgur wheat is available in most grocery stores. I typically buy mine in the bulk bins.
- This recipe requires quite a bit of chopping to get the fine texture that’s so traditional with this salad. To save a little time, you can use the food processor to chop the parsley.
- This salad tastes best when it has some time to sit so that the bulgur can absorb the dressing. I recommend making it at least one hour before you plan to serve it.
This recipe was deemed better than our favorite restaurant version by my husband. I was quite pleased with the results, and am thankful you shared it! I look forward to making this again and again!
I use a fair-sized shallot minced along with at least 3-4 cleaned and chopped green onions, green parts included. I don’t use a cucumber. I will use dried parsley and spearmint in the off-season. I love this with a couple of pepperoncini on the side!!
Great, thank you!
Love how easy this fabulous tabbouleh is to make. It’s a perfect salad for my family.
One of my favorite dishes to bring to the table during the summer months! This is so refreshing and flavorful.
We made falafel wraps for lunch today and I served this tabbouleh alongside, and it was the most delicious, light and refreshing side dish! We loved it!
I made this tabbouleh as a side with dinner last night and it waws fantastic! So full of flavor!
This tabbouleh salad is so fresh and full of flavor. The perfect pairing for spring and summer meals.