This easy Tabbouleh salad recipe is made with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. It’s light, healthy, low calorie, and just so simple and wonderful, with bright fresh flavors. Great for summer potlucks or year round on its own or as a side.
Easy Tabbouleh Recipe
My sister and I used to meet for lunch at an Indian place every few months and I would always eat my weight in hummus, naan, and tabbouleh. Just thinking about it makes me so hungry. The restaurant isn’t all that close by, though, so I make these items at home all the time to get my fix!
What is Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh (or Tabouli) salad is a simple Middle Eastern dish made with a lot of fresh parsley, bulgar wheat, finely chopped vegetables, and tossed in olive oil and lemon juice. It’s bright, fresh, and loaded with healthy ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
This Tabbouleh recipe is made with bulgur wheat and simple fresh ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Parsley – Authentic tabbouleh uses a ton of fresh parsley, chopped very fine. Either flat-leaf or curly can be used.
- Bulgur – Bulgur is parboiled cracked wheat. It’s high in fiber, with a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. It’s soaked, not cooked, and once prepared, it’s chewy and fluffy. People often mistake it for couscous, but they are not at all the same. Bulgar is a whole grain, while couscous is tiny pasta.
- Vegetable Stock or Water – I always soak my bulgar in veggie stock, which adds another layer of flavor. Simply use water to make this salad vegan.
- Fresh Mint and Scallions – Mint is another traditional ingredient and adds a fresh and cool flavor to the salad. Scallions (green onion) are mild, but lend a little zippy flavor.
- Tomato and Cucumber – Tomatoes add sweetness (and also beautiful color!), while cucumber lends more freshness and texture. (NOTE: my understanding is that cucumber is not part of authentic Tabbouleh, but I always include it and honestly can’t imagine this salad without it.)
- Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Salt – Tabbouleh is tossed in a simple combination of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
How to Make Tabbouleh
Here’s an overview of how to make this Tabbouleh recipe.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Soak the bulgar. Place the bulgur in a medium sized bowl. In a small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl) bring the vegetable stock and some of the salt to a boil, then pour it over the bulgur. Let sit for 30 minutes. Drain any liquid that hasn’t evaporated.
- Mix in other ingredients. Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the bulgur and mix well. Add in the rest of the other ingredients, and the remaining salt; mix to combine.
- Taste. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary – add a little more lemon juice for zing, or salt for more overall flavor.
- Serve or chill. You can eat it immediately, but it’s much better if you let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes – and it’s even more amazing the next day.
Tips and Variations
- Preparing the bulgar. This recipe calls for fine bulgur wheat, which requires soaking in hot water for about 30 minutes. If using extra coarse bulgur, you’ll need to soak it for much longer or even boil it. Prepare it according to package directions.
- Cucumbers are recommended! If including cucumbers, English or Persian cucumbers are best, since they have less seeds, which means less water. If using the common cucumber, remove all of the seeds before chopping.
- Try it with sun-dried tomatoes. If ripe tomatoes aren’t available where you are, you could use sun-dried tomatoes instead. However, this will give the dish a different, sweeter flavor.
- Ingredients should be chopped finely. Chop everything with a knife for best texture and avoid using a food processor.
- Don’t skimp on the olive oil. You might be tempted to cut back on the amount of olive oil, but don’t do it or the salad will be dry.
- Cover and chill for best flavor. Cover the tabbouleh and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for best flavor. It’s even better the next day!
- Make it vegan. Use water instead of vegetable stock to make it vegan.
- Make it gluten-free. Substituting quinoa for the bulgar will make this a gluten-free salad. You’ll use the same amount of uncooked quinoa, but it will need to be cooked, unlike bulgar which simply soaks in liquid.
Video: Tabbouleh Recipe
Serving Suggestions
Tabbouleh salad can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature, on its own or with a side of naan bread, Dolma, or wrapped in lettuce leaves. It’s great as a light lunch or potluck side and goes great with with Grilled Chicken or Grilled Steak.
How to Store Tabbouleh
After preparing the salad, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for best flavor. It’s even better the next day! Leftover Tabbouleh will keep well in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
More Healthy Salads
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Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
- 1 cup vegetable broth (or water for a vegan dish)
- 1 teaspoon salt , divided
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh parsley , very finely chopped
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint , finely chopped (about 6 mint leaves)
- 3 firm Roma tomatoes , seeded and finely diced, excess liquid drained (1 cup)
- 1 small English cucumber , peeled, seeded and finely diced, excess liquid drained (1 cup)
- 2 whole scallions , greens and white parts, finely diced
- pita bread and/or romaine lettuce leaves , for serving, completely optional
Instructions
- Place the bulgur in a medium sized bowl.
- In a small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl) bring the vegetable stock and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil, then pour it over the bulgur. Let sit for 30 minutes. Drain any liquid that hasn’t evaporated.
- Add the olive oil and lemon juice to the bulgur and mix well.
- Add in the rest of the other ingredients, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix to combine. (Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary – add a little more lemon juice for zing, or salt for more overall flavor.)
- You can eat it immediately, but it's much better if you let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes – and it's even more amazing the next day.
I love this stuff wrapped in a grape leave or right out of the bowl. Now do you have recipe for Kibbeh?
Excellent recipe! I doubled the water to bulgur wheat I also added 3 cloves of fresh garlic. I made a double batch because my husband loves it so much. Delicious!
Made this for a bridal shower and everyone loved it!
Sadly I’m allergic to lemons, can I substitute vinegar instead?
Hi Jeannie – this recipe really needs lemon choice. Lime juice, although not ideal, is the best replacement, since it can be used as a one-to-one ratio and has a very similar acidity level. Hopefully you’re not allergic to limes, too!
Make hummus an tabboula wrapped in pitas bread oh so good an yes use cukes