Tabouli (Tabbouleh) Salad
A vibrantly delicious Lebanese salad made of parsley, bulgur wheat, tomatoes and more with olive oil and lemon juice.
I fell in love as a teenager with…Tabouli, Yes, Tabouli. It may sound like something unusual for a teenager to love, but I did love it! As a teenager, I would go with my family to Hedary’s on camp Bowie in Fort Worth. Hedary’s on camp Bowie opened in 1978. Hedary’s was a Lebanese restaurant featuring many traditional Mediterranean dishes which were primarily Lebanese. When we ate at Hedary’s, we would start our meal by ordering the mezza which are several small plates of food, including hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, cucumbers, and yogurt sauce, and my favorite tabouli. I’m sure I had more than my share of tabouli.
Tabouli is a salad that comes to us from Lebanon made up of chopped parsley, served, uncooked, bulgur, wheat, mint green onion, diced tomato, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. I like mine very lemony, so I usually add extra lemon juice. Tabouli is traditionally eaten with pita bread. If you’re sharing the mezza, you just tear off a piece of pita and dig into one of the many delicious options.
I like tabouli so much I started making it myself at home. That way I can make it just how I like it. Some people and cucumber, but I don’t. Some people like my son like it to be heavy on the chopped parsley. I make my version with an equal balance between the chopped parsley and the bulgur wheat. I like to serve it with lemon wedges, so people can add more lemon if they like it really lemony like I do.
This is also a very economical salad to make. None of the ingredients are expensive. So if you’d like to learn how to make one of my favorites, gather the ingredients and let’s get started!
Tips:
The bulger wheat for this recipe does not have to be cooked. It just has to be soaked in water for about 10 minutes then drained and press the water out before making your salad.
It is okay to make this salad an hour ahead of time to let the flavors come together.
The vegetables in this recipe need to be cut in a fine dice.
Make sure the tomato you’re using has a firm texture.
For this recipe, use a fine texture, bulgur wheat.
I use thinly sliced green onions, but diced red onion could also be used.
Finally dice cucumber, can also be added, I would press out the moisture from the cucumber first
Ingredients:
For the salad:
Italian parsley-this is a flat leaf parsley with a slightly peppery taste
Bulgar wheat- made from the cracked whole grains of different wheat species. bulgur wheat is parboiled and dried before it is packaged. For this recipe you to find texture bulgur wheat.
Tomato-use a firm texture, Roma tomato, small dice
Green onions- One stem, using just the green part
Mint- It is best to use fresh mint finely chopped in this recipe.
For the dressing:
Olive oil-use extra-virgin olive oil
Lemon juice-I prefer to use fresh, squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. I get two large lemons. I start with the juice of one lemon and add more if needed.
Garlic- use two large or three small cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated.
Salt-I don’t use a lot of salt. Just use your preference to your taste.
Romaine leaves: Romain lettuce leaves are used as the base for your salad is putting it on a platter, but this is optional. I saw my tabouli in a bowl because there will be juices at the bottom of the bowl from the dressing.
Pita bread-a Mediterranean flatbread served with many Mediterranean dishes. Typically, you tear off a piece of flat bread and scoop up a bite of one of the delicious Mediterranean dishes.
Instructions:
Soak your half cup of bulgur wheat in water with the water about a half inch above the wheat for about 10 minutes. It will absorb the water and will double in size.
While the wheat is soaking, prep the rest of your ingredients. Finely chop the parsley, thinly sliced the green onions, finely chopped the mint, finally dice the tomato, and prepare the dressing: whisking together 3 tablespoons of olive oil, juice of one lemon (the juice of the other lemon can be added later if needed), a pinch of salt, and two or three cloves of minced garlic
Strain the bulgur wheat press out the water to press out the water, put the bulgur wheat in a clean, thin, cotton towel or paper towels, and gently squeeze out the water.
In a large bowl, add your parsley, the bulgur wheat, the green onion, the mint, tomato and toss to combine all the ingredients.
Whisk the dressing and pour over the salad. Toss the pasta salad to incorporate the dressing into the salad ingredients
Taste to adjust the seasoning, I normally add more lemon juice.
If not serving immediately, cover and keep refrigerated until time to serve
If serving immediately transfer to serving bowl or dish, it can be served on Romaine leaves on a platter, but I prefer to serve in a bowl because there will be juices at the bottom of the bowl from the dressing.
Serve with pita bread and enjoy,
Serving:
I serve, tabouli with any Greek or other Mediterranean dishes.
It’s great as a side dish served with gyros.
It can be served on a platter on top of Romain lettuce leaves
Recipe:
For the salad:
1 bunch parsley (approximately 1 ½ - 2 c chopped)
½ c bulgar wheat (dry)
1 stem green onion thin sliced (approximately (2tbsp)
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 Roma tomato, small dice
For the dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small
Salt
2 or 3 clove’s minced garlic
Directions:
Soak your half cup of bulgur wheat in water with the water about a half inch above the wheat for about 10 minutes. It will absorb the water and will double in size.
While the wheat is soaking, prep the rest of your ingredients and make the dressing.
Strain the bulgur wheat press out the water to press out the water.
In a large bowl, add your parsley, the bulgur wheat, the green onion, the mint, tomato and toss to combine all the ingredients.
Whisk the dressing and pour over the salad. Toss the pasta salad to incorporate the dressing into the salad ingredients
Taste and adjust the seasoning, I normally need to add more lemon juice.
If not serving immediately, cover and keep refrigerated until time to serve. If serving immediately, transfer to serving bowl or dish.
Serve with pita bread and enjoy.
Notes:
If you have any leftover tabouli, it can be kept refrigerated one or two days.
If you haven’t tried other Lebanese dishes and you like tabouli, I would encourage you to give them a try.
Conclusion:
I hope you love tabouli as much as I do, and hopefully will want to make it often. This blog was brought to you by Lisa Ward, the Cowtown, Deal, Hunter, born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where I still live today with my kids. Bye y’all.
