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.
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 Recipe
PrintIngredients
- 2 cups vegetable stock (for vegetarian option), chicken stock or water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups bulgur wheat
- 1/2 cup 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 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 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 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.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
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I am trying this recipe tomorrow with brown rice couscous, which is gluten free.
I just tried this recipe and the outcome is delicious! I am a vegetarian and now I’ve got my main dish for a few days:)
I liked the idea of adding cinnamon – it does make difference!
This is a great recipe, but I add minced garlic to mine (to taste). I then let it sit for about an hour to help meld the flavors.
A gluten free cousin made this for us substituting quinoa for the barley.
Hey Elise,
Tabouleh is a regular sunday must in Lebanon, (where the Tabouleh comes from)
Here are some tips:
* don’t need the stock
* Use Way less Bulgur
* Use more Tomatoes
* Try to find the Middle Eastern All Spice
Tabouleh is best served with Home made french fries, BBQ and Humus!!!
Enjoy!