The Best Tabouli Salad Recipe

Tabouli (Tabouleh) is a staple salad of Lebanese cuisine and the star of any Lebanese dining experience. There are numerous Tabouli salad recipes out there and one can find the salad in most supermarket fridges. But what you’re about to discover is a recipe that has been passed on to me from my mom and grandmother. It is what my friends anticipate when I invite them for dinner. And a recipe my followers have been patiently awaiting for.

What is Tabouli?

Tabouli (Tabouleh in Arabic) is a healthy vegetable salad made with finely chopped Parsley, Tomatoes, Green Onions, Peppermint, and Bulgur Wheat. It has a citrus-based dressing that requires only lemons and olive oil. The ingredients offer great health benefits for the digestive system and skin.

Recently, cooks have been replacing some of the ingredients such as Parsley and Bulgur with Kale and Quinoa. I personally love using Kale instead of Parsley because Kale is faster to chop. As well, Kale holds its texture and crispiness longer than Parsley and is a very tasty leftover meal.

Important tips about Tabouli

1. In a Tabouli recipe, it’s important to use fine Bulgur. It has the perfect crunch and substance and it is what we traditionally use in Tabouli and Kebbe. I recommend rinsing the Bulgur and letting it soak in lukewarm water for few minutes before adding it to the other ingredients. This will allow the Bulgur to soften and expand.
2. As well, I highly recommend chopping the parsley with a sharp knife instead of a food processor. Firstly, when you chop it with a knife, you avoid over-processing or over chopping parsley leaves. Secondly, over chopped parsley leaves can become very soggy and mushy. Parsley leaves retain their crispiness when chopped with a sharp knife.
3. Always use firm tomatoes for Tabouli. They are easier to chop and won’t become mushy or soft when finely chopped. Firm tomatoes have less liquid than ripe tomatoes and are less likely to turn your Tabouli into a watery salad. I personally like using firm Italian tomatoes because they are a bit tangy and zesty.
4. Never forget to add chopped Peppermint. This is my personal secret to a fresh and aromatic Tabouli, and I like to be very generous with Peppermint. But make sure to use fresh Peppermint in Tabouli salad, unless it’s completely out of season, then use dry Peppermint.
5. The only dressing you’ll need to add to Tabouli is Lemon juice and Extra Virgin Olive oil. I suggest using fresh lemon juice, instead of lime juice or bottled lemon juice, to get that dynamic tangy taste. Lime juice has a bitter-sweet taste and bottled lemon juice can add unwanted bitterness to parsley and Peppermint. As for Extra Virgin Olive oil, my preference is always Greek olive oil. It is aromatic and very flavourful and is historically known for its purity and substance.

What to serve with Tabouli

Traditionally, Tabouli is served as part of Mezze table which is a feast of multiple small servings of meals which includes grilled meat, Hummus, Baba Ghannouj and many other popular Lebanese signature dishes. It is a healthy alternative to a full meal which I usually have as my main course for dinner. A generous amount of Tabouli is filling and is a great alternative way to cleanse your system naturally. Trust me when I say Tabouli reduces bloating and helps balance the digestive system – thanks to Parsley and Bulgur.

Tabouli Wrap

Tabouli wraps are wonderful meal ideas for vegans and Keto followers. All you need is to place some Tabouli salad in a fresh cabbage leaf, wrap it and eat. If you are not a fan of cabbage, Romaine Lettuce is a tasty and a lighter substitute wrap option.

Shop my recommended Bulgur and Olive Oil products

Yupik Organic Bulgur has great reviews and is very affordable.

Solon oil is widely used by greek communities in North America. It’s one of the best oils I’ve ever come across and use for salads.

Tabouli Salad Ingredients:

• 2 fresh bunches Parsley
• 2 large Tomatoes (or 4 small Italian Tomatoes)
• 2 green onions
• 1/4 cup fine Bulgur
• Juice of 1 1/2 Lemons
• leaves from 3 to 4 mint stems
• 3 tablespoons Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Wash the 1/4 cup of Bulgur in lukewarm water and leave it for few minutes in water. The Bulgur will absorb the water, expand and becomes moist. You don’t want Bulgur to be too dry and hard to chew. Otherwise, one can risk the chance of chipping their teeth!
2. Chop tomatoes finely in small cubes. Some people like to drain the tomato juice but I personally avoid this step because Bulgur likes to absorb the juices and that in turn adds flavour and taste to Bulgur.
3. The next step is to squeeze Bulgur and drain the water. Place the well-squeezed Bulgur in a salad bowl. Then add finely chopped tomatoes on top. My mom taught me to follow this sequence because, as mentioned above, Bulgur will absorb the Tomato juice and become moister and flavourful.
4. Chop Green onions finely (green and white parts). Place them on top of the chopped tomatoes.
5. Finely chop Peppermint leaves the add to the bowl.
6. Cut off the stems of Parsley then wash and dry parsley leaves before chopping. Once dried, grab a bunch of Parsley leaves tightly together and chop them finely with a sharp knife. Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse chop Parsley and make sure you don’t over chop them. Then add the finely chopped Parsley to the Tabouli salad bowl.
7. The final step is to add lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper dressing and mix the salad well. Serve it with Romaine Lettuce or cabbage.

Tabouli salad with Kale and Quinoa

You can also prepare Tabouli salad with Kale leaves and Quinoa, instead of Parsley and Bulgur. The process is exactly the same but instead of Bulgur, use 2 tablespoons of cooked Quinoa and make sure to drain it well.

And chop 1/2 bunch of Kale leaves instead of 2 Parsley bunches as they are thicker and bigger than Parsley. As I mentioned earlier, I prefer Kale over Parsley as the leaves stay crispy in the oil and lemon dressing while left in the fridge. As well, it’s way faster to chop than Parsley. Plus, Kale a great source of vitamin K and C and helpful in combating middle age brain fog.

Summary: Learning a new recipe takes time and multiple attempts before we can figure out the perfect amount of ingredients that suit our taste. And I always say, cooking is a form of art that necessitate passion and patience. So take the time to enjoy preparing a meal like Tabouli Salad and savour the moments and flavours of your hard work.