This Easy Tabbouleh Recipe is a fresh, light salad mixing tomatoes, parsley, mint, green onions, bulgur wheat along with a light lemon olive oil dressing. A great side to any meal or a main dish for lunch!

EASY TABBOULEH RECIPE

This Easy Tabbouleh Recipe has been passed down through the generations of my family.

It came over with my great – great grandma from Lebanon.

If you are Lebanese you know that Tabouli is a middle eastern salad that is a staple in many of the meals that we eat. 

We pair traditional lebanese tabbouleh with Hummus and Beef, Grilled Chicken, Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowls and more. 

As a child we always had a batch of tabbouleh at our get togethers, especially in the summer.

My grandma makes the best tabbouleh. I definitely learned from the best! 

If you have never had a tabouli salad recipe before you know it is a mixture of fresh parsley and mint, tomatoes, green onions bulgur wheat and then drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

It is so fresh, light and full of flavor. It makes a great side salad or main dish for lunch. 

In the summer I always use the fresh produce I find at the farmers market.

In the late summer I use my garden vegetables in my favorite Mediterranean salads like this Greek Tabbouleh, Cauliflower Tabbouleh, Kale Cucumber Tabbouleh, Mediterranean Bean Salad and this Easy Lebanese Salad. 

These salads are healthy recipes that pair great with summer grilling. 

Most traditional Lebanese restaurants will offer a tabbouleh salad on their menu along with hummus, Lebanese Green Beans, Grilled Beef Kofta Kebabs and Spicy Lebanese Potatoes. 

In my case this recipe is what my mom, Grandma and her mom have made for years.

I love having family recipes like this to pass on throughout the generations.

There is something so special about a recipe that has not only traveled across oceans but traveled through a family tree.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN TABOULI?

BULGUR WHEAT: The bulghur wheat is the grain that is used in traditional tabbouleh.

You can use other grains in its place but it won’t be the traditional salad you would eat in Lebanese. I have made this salad using cauliflower rice in a Cauliflower Tabbouleh to mix things up which is nice too. 

TOMATOES: When making this salad make sure to use ripe tomatoes. I love using fresh garden or farmers market tomatoes in this salad. A few other salads that use fresh tomatoes are my Fattoush and this Fresh Tomato Salad. 

PARSLEY: Fresh herbs are a big part of tabbouleh especially parsley. My kids will often call this a parsley salad. 

It is another important ingredient in this recipe. If you grow parsley that will work perfectly. I like to use curly parsley but you could do Italian parsley as well. 

GREEN ONION: The green onion adds a nice flavor to the tabbouleh. You can leave it out but I wouldn’t! 

MINT: I grow a lot of fresh mint in my yard so I always have an abundance to add to salads.

It is one of my favorite parts of Tabbouleh. 

DRESSING: The dressing is a light lemon dressing mixing fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. 

HOW DO YOU MAKE TABOULI RECIPE?

Start by rinsing the bulgur wheat otherwise known as cracked wheat. Soak it in cold water for 10 minutes.

Drain the excess water by using your hands to squeeze the water out. Set aside.

Put the parsley, tomatoes, green onions, mint and bulgur wheat into a large bowl and gently mix.

Mix the lemon juice and olive oil in small bowl and pour over the vegetable mixture in the large bowl and mix well.

Stir, taste, and adjust seasoning (add salt and pepper to taste).

Cover and refrigerate in an airtight container or serve immediately.

TIPS FOR MAKING TABBOULEH:

• One thing I have noticed over the years when it comes to tabbouli is that each person makes it slightly different, especially when it comes to how finely the ingredients are chopped. If you want your ingredients to be very finely chopped you can use a food processor. I just do a few pulses at a time to ensure I don’t process the ingredients too much. 
• I use extra fine bulgur wheat in my tabbouleh because it doesn’t take much time to soak and create a soft texture. If you use a different bulgur that is fine but you will need to soak it in hot water to soften it for about an hour. 
• I first tried Kale Tabbouleh at Aladdins restaurant near my house and was hooked. If you like kale and want an extra nutritional punch to your salad try my Kale Cucumber Tabbouleh.  
• Classic tabbouli is great the way it is but if you are feeling adventurous you can add spices like sumac or za’atar, add a variety of vegetables like carrots, celery and cucumbers and create your own favorite dressing.
• You can serve tabbouleh at room temperature or cold. Either works fine. I grew up eating it at room temperature and it was great. 
• If you have other vegetables on hand try adding radish, red pepper, english cucumbers or red onion to this salad.