Today we are going to be making a classic Lebanese dish, tabbouleh, or is it tabouli, or tabouleh…. Taboulah???? Ummmm, honestly who knows, everyone likes to spell it differently. But despite the vast disagreement on how to spell tabbouleh, one thing everyone can come together and agree on is that it tastes great. It truly is one of those rare dishes that gives you the sensation of eating a fresh garden. It’s light, it’s fresh, and full of bright flavors. And today I’d like to show you my semi-authentic take on the recipe.
That’s right I said semi-authentic!
Now don’t get me wrong I’ve done my best to make sure my recipe follows most of the classic tenets of tabbouleh making. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from trying out other people’s tabbouleh recipes over the years it’s this.
- Everyone has a recipe handed down to them from their Lebanese grandmother/great grandmother.
- All of these recipes differ from one another.
- And each person is adamant that their version is the MOST AUTHENTIC version that exists.
So sorry but I will not be playing that card today. I’m not Lebanese, and this recipe wasn’t handed down to me from some 17th-century codex. This simply how I like to make my tabbouleh. And to be honest that is what home cooking should always be about, making what you like! So if you’re ready to give it a try then let’s get to it.
Tips, Tricks & Suggestions
- What parsley to use? To be honest I’ve seen booth flat-leaf and curly parsley used in a number of recipes. So really it comes down to your personal preference. Though as for me personally I actually like to do a mix of both.
- It should be noted that this recipe requires a lot of time-consuming chopping, which might tempt you to use a food processor. Personally, I don’t recommend that you use one. However, if you do give in to the temptation, be mindful that a couple of seconds in the food processor is all it takes to turn an ingredient from finely minced into a mushy paste. And trust me, you don’t want any of these ingredients to be mushy!
- If you want to make this recipe gluten-free then sub out the bulgar wheat with some cooked quinoa.
- One of my inauthentic additions to this tabbouleh is finely diced cucumber. So if you want to keep the recipe more true to its roots then keep it out.
- I especially like to serve this tabbouleh with chicken. Some of our favorite pairings are with Greek chicken, Joojeh kabobs, or Mojo chicken.
Tabbouleh Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
3 Bunches of parsley, minced
¼ Cup of fine bulgur wheat
2 Medium tomatoes, cored and finely diced
Half of an English or Persian cucumber, finely diced
4 Green onions, finely chopped
20 Mint leaves, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
For the dressing:
½ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ Cup of lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep the bulgur: place the bulgur in a bowl and cover it with ¼ cup of water. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the water and softened.
- Prep the parsley and mint: Before we mince up the parsley and mint we want to make sure that they are washed and dried. You can do this by washing them and then leaving them to sit on some paper towels for 10 to 15 minutes. Or a better option is to wash them and then run them threw a salad spinner.
Either way is fine. Once they are completely dry mince them as fine as you can and add them to a large mixing bowl. Set this aside.
- Chop up the tomato, cucumber and green onion. Add them to the mixing bowl with the parsley and mint.
- Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice and olive oil in a separate bowl or cup.
- Finish the salad: Add the bulgur and the salad dressing to the other ingredients and toss it all together.
- Serve the tabbouleh immediately and enjoy!
Tabbouleh Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Bunches of parsley minced
- ¼ Cup of fine bulgur wheat
- 2 Medium tomatoes cored and finely diced
- Half of an English or Persian cucumber finely diced
- 4 Green onions finely chopped
- 20 Mint leaves minced
- Salt & Pepper to taste
For the dressing:
- ½ Cup of extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ Cup of lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep the bulgur: place the bulgur in a bowl and cover it with ¼ cup of water. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the water and softened.
- Prep the parsley and mint: Before we mince up the parsley and mint we want to make sure that they are washed and dried. You can do this by washing them and then leaving them to sit on some paper towels for 10 to 15 minutes. Or a better option is to wash them and then run them threw a salad spinner. Either way is fine. Once they are completely dry mince them as fine as you can and add them to a large mixing bowl. Set this aside.
- Chop up the tomato, cucumber and green onion. Add them to the mixing bowl with the parsley and mint.
- Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice and olive oil in a separate bowl or cup.
- Finish the salad: Add the bulgur and the salad dressing to the other ingredients and toss it all together.
- Serve the tabbouleh immediately and enjoy!
Looking for more inspiration on how to make tabbouleh? Then check out these other blogs.
From Feel Good Foodie
From Cookie and Kate
