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Tabbouleh

Fresh and easy tabbouleh parsley and bulgur wheat salad, with fresh parsley, mint, bulgur soaked in stock, tomatoes, olive oil and lemon juice.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Tabbouleh
Elise Bauer

A few months ago I wrote a piece about parsley and what an important herb it is for brightening the flavor of foods. Several of you suggested that your favorite thing to make with parsley is tabbouleh, a middle eastern salad of sorts made with bulgur wheat and lots of chopped fresh parsley.

Here's our version. It's a cinch to make!

The thing that requires the most work actually is just the chopping up of the parsley. Don't skimp on the olive oil. The salad needs it or it will be dry.

Tabbouleh
Elise Bauer

Feel free to add some chopped cucumber, or even chile for a little heat.

A good winter-time substitute for the fresh tomatoes is some canned roasted red peppers, or sun-dried tomatoes. Serve with hummus and some pita bread.

Tabbouleh

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Sitting and Marinating 60 mins
Total Time 80 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups vegetable stock (for vegetarian option), chicken stock or water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups bulgur wheat
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest and juice from 2 lemons
  • 5-6 Roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 2 scallions, chopped, including the greens
  • 2-3 cups parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

Method

  1. Cook the bulgur:

    Place the bulgur in a medium sized bowl. Bring the stock or water and the teaspoon of salt to a boil, pour it over the bulgur. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

  2. Combine bulgur with remaining ingredients:

    In a large bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, bulgur and mix well. Add in all the other ingredients and mix to combine.

  3. Let sit 30 minutes:

    Taste the tabbouleh, and add more salt, olive oil or more lemon juice to taste. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Will keep chilled for several days.