Tabbouleh Salad Recipe – Rachel Cooks®

 

If we’re getting carryout for dinner, often it’s Lebanese food. Really, I could probably make all my Lebanese favorites at home like I do with chicken kofta and shish tawook, but I do love a good carry-out meal and a night off from cooking!

I wanted to be able to make my own tabbouleh because I always order extra so I have leftovers for lunches. One of my favorite lunches is warm pita bread with hummus and tabbouleh salad. A close runner up is red lentil soup with fattoush salad.

The bright flavors of the minced parsley and mint, green onions, and lemon juice make tabbouleh truly unforgettable, and as it sits in the fridge, the flavors really come together. I think it tastes even better the second day!

What is Tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh is a popular Middle Eastern salad often served as an appetizer or small plate, or as part of a mezze. It features finely chopped parsley, complemented by bulgur, tomatoes, onion, and mint, with a light vinaigrette of lemon juice and olive oil. It may be called tabouli, taboulah, or tabooli. There are many variations of the salad depending on the region and the cook (Wikipedia).

Reasons to Love Tabbouleh Salad

• Fresh, herbaceous flavor. Instead of traditional salad greens, tabbouleh is made with lots of fresh parsley and mint. The leaves are minced finely to release all of their deliciousness. This salad has simple ingredients but big flavor!
• Easy to make. There’s no special technique or hard-to-find ingredients which means tabbouleh salad is pretty easy to recreate at home. This salad is just a matter of prepping quality ingredients and then stirring them together.
• Versatile. You can serve this recipe as a side dish or stir in chickpeas or shredded chicken to make it a complete lunch. I also like to use it as a base for Middle Eastern-inspired meal bowls with tahini sauce!

Ingredients

• Fine Bulgur Wheat: Please refer to the above note regarding different types of bulgur. Follow the instructions on the package for cooking the bulgur since it may vary depending on what type you buy. Very fine bulgur doesn’t require any cooking at all.
• Fresh Parsley: Parsley is a major component of tabbouleh; I usually buy at least 2 bunches to make sure I have enough. Curly or flat leaf Italian parsley can be used in this recipe, although I prefer curly parsley in tabbouleh salad.
• Mint: Tabbouleh is traditionally made with spearmint but usually grocery stores sell just one kind of mint. If you’re pulling it from your backyard garden or buying it at a farmers market, I’d choose spearmint over peppermint.
• Tomato: Remove the seeds and core. Squeezing out the seeds helps keep the tabbouleh salad from getting watery.
• English Cucumber: Any tender-skinned cucumber will work. If you want to use a garden cucumber, peel it and scoop out the seeds first.
• Green Onions: You’ll use both the white and green parts.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice (not bottled!) makes the best tabbouleh salad.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: If you have a high-quality fruity EVOO on hand, use it here!
• Garlic: The lemon juice mellows the garlic, giving this tabbouleh salad oomph without overwhelming it.
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Always essential!

How to make Tabbouleh Salad

Prep the bulgur. Cook the bulgur as directed on the package. Fluff the cooked bulgur with a fork and let it cool completely in a large bowl. You can make it a day ahead if you like.

Prep the parsley. Rinse the parsley thoroughly and dry it as much as possible. I use my salad spinner to dry it or you can shake off the excess water and pat it dry. Trim off the large stems; small stems are fine. Chop it finely; you’ll need 3 cups of very finely chopped parsley. Some folks use a food processor to accomplish this. It’s a much faster method but I prefer it chopped by hand. It’s up to you!

Prep the mint and vegetables. Rinse the mint thoroughly and dry it. Remove the leaves from the stems and chop them finely. You’ll only need ¼ cup of minced mint. Rinse and cut the tomatoes, cucumber, and green onions into small uniform pieces.

Combine with the bulgur. Add the chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, and green onion to the bowl of cooled bulgur.

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the fresh lemon juice, olive oil, minced or pressed garlic, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed.

Combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss lightly to combine.

Adjust seasoning to taste. Try a spoonful of the tabbouleh and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

Chill. Refrigerate the tabbouleh salad for at least 1 hour. Stir well and serve.

How to make this Tabbouleh Salad your own

• Add feta: When I’m stretching out leftover tabbouleh for lunches, I love to add crumbled feta.
• Use freekeh: In the original version of this recipe, I used freekeh instead of bulgur; it’s also a cracked wheat but it’s roasted, so it has a little more depth to the flavor. I also use it in this Thai freekeh salad and Moroccan freekeh pilaf.
• Swap in quinoa: Another option is to make tabbouleh with quinoa, which has a higher protein count, making the salad more filling.

What to Serve With This Salad

Make Ahead Ideas

Make the tabbouleh salad on Sunday and enjoy it for lunch for the next three days! I like packing it in a box with compartments and putting grilled chicken or falafel in one and fresh fruit in another.

Storage Suggestions

Store leftover tabbouleh salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.