This easy Tabbouleh salad recipe is made with bulgur, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. I love that it’s light, healthy, low calorie, and simple, with wonderful and bright, fresh flavors. I like to bring it to summer potlucks or serve it year-round on its own or as a side.

Easy Tabbouleh Recipe

My sister and I used to meet for lunch at a restaurant 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!

Tabbouleh (or Tabouli) salad is a simple Middle Eastern dish made with a lot of fresh parsley, bulgur wheat, finely chopped vegetables, tossed in olive oil and lemon juice. It’s bright, fresh, and loaded with healthy ingredients.

Helpful Tips and Variations

• Preparing the bulgur. 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 fewer 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, 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 the 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.
• Make it vegan. Use water instead of vegetable stock to make it vegan.
• Make it gluten-free. Substitute quinoa for the bulgur and make this a gluten-free salad. Use the same amount of uncooked quinoa, cooked.

How to Make Tabbouleh Step by Step

Gather your ingredients.

Soak bulgur: Place 1 cup bulgur in a medium-sized bowl. In a small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl), bring 1 cup vegetable stock and ½ tsp of salt to a boil, then pour it over the bulgur. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Drain any liquid that hasn’t evaporated.

Add oil and lemon juice: Add the ¼ cup olive oil and 3 tbsp lemon juice to the bulgur and mix well.

Add remaining ingredients: Add in 1 cup parsley, ½ cup mint, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 English cucumber, 2 scallions, 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.)

Serve or store: 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.

How to Store

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.

What to Serve With Tabbouleh

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 hearty mains like grilled chicken or this flavorful grilled steak.

More Healthy Salads

• Chicken Salad
• Big Mac Salad
• Cauliflower Salad
• Three Bean Salad
• Watermelon Salad