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This traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh (or tabouli) Salad is a healthy vegan Mediterranean appetizer made with bulgur, parsley, mint and chopped vegetables. Easy to make with just a handful of ingredients, this fresh salad is a real treat for the tastebuds!
You say tabouli salad, I say tabbouleh salad. Who actually knows the real way to spell it in English haha! But anyone who’s tried Tabbouleh Salad knows what a fresh, delightful and tasty salad it is! Along with fattoush salad, it’s the top salad served in Lebanon, where my parents are from. So, as you can imagine, I’ve grown up eating a lot of tabbouleh in my life. And I’ve grown to learn how to make the best tabbouleh recipe!
What is tabbouleh salad?
Tabbouleh is basically parsley salad. There’s technically no lettuce in it. It’s a salad made up of parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, and green onions – all finely chopped and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice!
Tabbouleh salad (tabouli salad) is probably the most popular Mediterranean salad, and is becoming mainstream in American grocery stores all over the country and the world, which is super cool! One thing that I’ve noticed though is that in the states, tabbouleh tends to have more bulgur than the traditional recipe calls for. The way we prepare it in Lebanon, the salad should be all about the parsley, with a hint of bulgur thrown in there.
What do you need to make tabbouleh salad
- Parsley – It’s a parsley salad so this is the star of the recipe. Make sure to wash the parsley with cold water so it doesn’t wilt and dry it thoroughly with a salad spinner. If you prep the parsley a day in advance, it allows the herb to fully dry well for the salad. I prefer to use curly parsley, but flat leaf parsley works well too.
- Tomatoes – Get some fresh and ripe tomatoes, and if they are too juicy, you can remove their core before dicing.
- Green onions – You’ll use the entire green onion parts from the white to the green. This will give it a subtle taste of onions while blending well with the parsley.
- Bulgur – Use fine bulgur – the smallest you can find! Bulgur is sold in four numbered grind sizes. You want to look for #1 which is the smallest grind. It will resemble couscous and it’s what we use in traditional tabbouleh. There is no need to cook this bulgur. It simply needs to be soaked in liquid to become tender.
- Lemon Juice – Freshly squeezed please. 🙂
- Olive Oil – Go for high quality extra virgin olive oil. You’ll notice the taste difference!
VIDEO TUTORIAL
How do you make tabbouleh
I like to start making the tabouleh by mixing the dressing. It’s made up of two ingredients: olive oil and lemon juice – easy enough! I whisk those together until well blended, and then let the flavor settle while I chop the vegetables.
One important tip I learned though from my mother-in-law is to add the bulgur to the dressing while preparing the vegetables. This allows the bulgur to absorb some of the liquid and soften – making it easier to chew it in the salad. I used to soak it in water, but I prefer this method because there’s no risk of watering down the flavor. You’ll slowly start to see the bulgur get more plump.
While the bulgur is soaking, prepare yourself for some mad chopping. Tabbouleh requires a lot of chopping – it’s really a labor of love. That includes a bunch (well technically 2 bunches) of parsley, tomatoes and green onions. Some people use a food processor to chop the parsley. But I find that it can sometimes lead to wilted chopped parsley. So I always use a large chef knife, and it does the trick.
When you’re done chopping, transfer the bulgur and dressing mixture over the chopped vegetables and gently mix everything together. And that’s basically the tabbouleh salad recipe! And it might be the best tabbouleh recipe you’ll ever have!
How do you serve tabbouleh salad
You can enjoy this on its own with a side of protein as a meal, or eat it as an appetizer. We usually serve this with lettuce in Lebanon. And we like to add a large scoop of the salad into a lettuce leaf and eat it with our hands. So sometimes, when I’m serving this for a crowd, I’ll leave out the lettuce leaves ready for serving.
And other times I just stuff the tabbouleh salad right in the lettuce because I love the presentation of a hand held salad. It’s fresh, flavorful and very healthy. And even though this looks like a very summery salad, it’s very popular around the holidays in the winter because it’s such a crowd pleasing appetizer.
Tips to make the best tabbouleh salad recipe
- Fine Chopping: Show off your chopping skills here by finely chopping all the vegetables. It’s tedious, but the presentation is everything, and you’ll get better at it with practice. Avoid using a food processor, especially for the parsley, which can wilt the parsley and ruin the texture of the salad.
- Fine Bulgur: In fact, it should be extra fine bulgur to be precise. The focus of the salad is on the parsley, not the bulgur, so you want fine bulgur that incorporates easily into the salad without standing out. The bulgur should require no cooking.
- Fine Tomatoes: You want them to be ripe for flavor’s sake, but firm so they don’t release too much juice. What I like doing is coring the tomatoes to remove the juicy interior and use that for another salad recipe. You can also just use a mesh colander to drain the liquids from chopped tomatoes.
Frequently asked questions
This salad is packed full of healthy ingredients and is low in calories. Parsley is an anti-inflammatory that can reduce your risk of cancer and improve your immune system, while the bulgur is a fiber rich whole grain. The tomatoes and lemon juice provide a good amount of vitamins and minerals.
The good news is, is that you can make this salad a day or two before you serve it in an air tight container in the fridge. By making it ahead of time you will give the flavors time to really develop. You can not freeze this salad.
Because authentic tabbouleh is made with bulgur, it is not grain free. If you want to make this grain-free, you can substitute the bulgur for quinoa or even riced cauliflower.
I love making this tabbouleh salad once a month with a bunch of other Lebanese appetizers like grape leaves, hummus and falafel. That’s how it’s traditionally served in Lebanon – as part of a “Mezza” (aka appetizer galore!) that literally includes dozens of different hot and cold appetizers all served at once. It’s a foodie’s true dream!
My other tabbouleh recipes:
More Lebanese salads:
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feelgood Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra fine bulgur wheat
- 2 bunches parsley about 2 cups chopped
- 1-2 vine-ripe firm tomatoes
- 2 green onions both green and white part
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves optional
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice until well combined. Then add the bulgur to the dressing and let it soak until it is soft and plumped, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by washing, drying thoroughly and finely chopping them. When preparing the tomatoes, it helps to use a colander to drain the excess juice, which you can use in another recipe at a later time.
- Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Add the optional mint. Season with salt and pepper. Then pour the bulgur and dressing mixture over. Gently toss to combine.
- Serve at room temperature or cold, with lettuce if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
OMG… So delicious, just perfect with anything, or by itself! Secret is to chop the parsley without any stems! It makes the salad even better! Better olive oil can add that delightful touch!
So glad you enjoyed it, Amy!
Stunning, without compliments, You are the only Chef who recommend to Soak Burghul. Other chefs add Burghul to the mixture, and after that they Add Dressing. Personally, after I wash Burghul and rinse it several times till I get very Clear water, i squeeze Burghul, and add very little pinch of salt, then Lemon Juice and Leave it either the night or at least for one hour. Recipe is saved and shared. Thank you,zouhair
You’re so welcome! Oh yes, I agree completely that rinsing the burghul is an important step and makes all the difference.
Wonderful! So healthy. Video helpful.
So glad you liked it, Victoria!
Love it! Authentic and just the way it should taste.
Thanks the great video and tips – tips are what make this so authentic! 🙂
Thank you so much, Vicki! It’s one of my favorites, and I love sharing it with others!
The bulgur wheat is hard as a rock. We buy it bulk at the healthy store. I wish I would’ve known I had to cook it first maybe the recipe could’ve warned me ahead of time. What a waste of oil and wheat..
I am so sorry to hear that the bulgur didn’t soften for you. I agree; it’s so disheartening when food goes to waste! What size grind did you use? This recipe calls for fine bulgur. Bulgur is sold in four numbered grind sizes. You want to look for #1, which is the smallest grind. Any larger, and you would most likely need to cook it.
Easy to make and delicious!! I love it!!
Thank you so much! I am glad to hear it!
1. Can I make Tabbouleh in advance for a sat or sun?
2. What’s the best way to transport it if I was to take it to s as mother venue for a party
Thank you. I often make it and would like the best way to prepare it ahead of time as I have many other dishes to prep up for my guests.
The good news is, is that you can make this salad a day or two before you serve it in an air tight container in the fridge. By making it ahead of time you will give the flavors time to really develop. You can not freeze this salad.
Loved it! Easy and it tastes great!
Thank you so much!
Love this
❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much!
What do you recommend doing if i can only find #2 bulgur?
You can still use it in this recipe, but the overall product might not have the same texture. You could also try cooking the #2 bulgur instead of soaking it as I did in this recipe.
Tried the tabbouleh recipe for the first time And I’m disappointed. After all that work I took a bite and my bulgur was crunchy.
Maybe I need to soak it in water before hand the next time or cook it. I don’t know what went wrong.
I am sorry to hear that. What kind of bulgur did you use? You want to look for #1 which is the smallest grind. It will resemble couscous and it’s what we use in traditional tabbouleh. There is no need to cook this bulgur. It simply needs to be soaked in liquid to become tender.
This is the best recipe! Came out so good! Thank you! About to make it again today 🙂 when we made our sandwich’s we add raw red onion on it and came out delicious!
Thank you so much! That’s perfect!!
Anxious to try this delicious salad. Thank you for the recipe.
Can’t wait to hear what you think! You’re so welcome!
This is my favorite salad that I make all the time. I’ve never put onions in mine but am looking forward to trying this ingredient the next time I make it. I do add a bit of garlic 🙂
I love that! Can’t wait for you to give it a go. Sounds delicious too!
So easy, so delicious! Ate the entire thing in one night.
I tend to do the same too! Glad you enjoyed!
I wasn’t happy with my existing tabbouleh recipe, so I updated it based on yours, with a few tweaks. It turned out to be THE BEST tabbouleh I’ve made in a long time, if not ever!
• I did soak my bulgur, as it didn’t look quite as fine as I’d have liked, but added salt, 1 minced garlic clove, and a couple peels of zest off the lemon to the soaking water to add to the flavor.
• I used to just toss the oil and then the lemon juice into the vegetable/bulgur mix separately, mixing after each. Mixing up the dressing first (olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, lemon zest) and letting the flavors mingle made a HUGE difference in the final flavor profile!
• Two non-traditional additions I’ve always made are a grated carrot and a can of chickpeas. The carrot adds color and crunch, and the chickpeas add creaminess and protein – because whenever I make this salad, it’s usually the main dish of our meal, so I like to bump up the protein content.
Thank you so much for providing the tips that have made my tabbouleh SO much better!
So happy to have shared my recipe, so you can update yours! Yay!!
I’m super excited to finally make this salad. I’ll definitely give you recipe credit when I post it on TikTok. I give a 5start since all the recipes I have tried from you are excellent.
Can’t wait to hear what you think! Thank you!
Been making this along with eech and majahmarra for years. Your recipe has some great tips that I will include on my next Mediterranean cooking adventure.
Thanx
Yum! Such a perfect meal. I’m glad to hear it!
Good recipe. I have a friend from Beirut who taught me her recipe.
It is slightly different from yours because she first cuts the onion and sprinkles it with salt and cinnamon. It is then left to sit while all the other ingredients are prepared. The idea behind the cinnamon and the salt on the onions is that you don’t have an onion breath afterwards she told me. The cinnamon gives it a wonderful tangy twist.
I was also thought that the salad must sit at least one hour for the bulgur wheat to absorb any liquid and become tender. I wash my parsley and do not dry it; I also put in the middle bits of tomato. That ensures that the bulgur wheat has enough liquid to absorb and is definitely soft.
Went on occasion I have not been able to get fine bulgur I have soaked the cracked wheat in water before adding it to the salad.
Thank you! That sounds delicious too. There are so many great takes on this recipe!
I’ve never heard of tabbouleh with cinnamon and I’ve lived in Lebanon most of my life. My mom mixes salt with the onions but with Lebanese 7 spices. I prefer it without spices though.
I made this recipe yesterday for dinner. I used to live in the Middle East so I have a pretty good idea how it should taste. I was a bit surprised when I didn’t have to boil/cook the bulgur. Even though the taste was lovely, the bulgur was still raw! 😕
Next time I’ll cook it first. I’m sorry, it’s only 3 stars 🥺
What kind of bulgur did you use in the recipe? Interested to hear what you think of the recipe when made with cooked bulgur!
What a fantastic recipe, we absolutely loved it. Fresh, beautiful colours, zingy, good for us & so easy to make. This will become a regular in our house. Thank you so much for posting such a great recipe. 🙂
Thank you so much! Exactly what I was going for. Hope you continue to enjoy!
This recipe is awesome! I could only find regular (not fine or extra fine) bulgur wheat, and after reading some comments, I was concerned. So I used Serious Eats technique of salting & draining the chopped tomatoes, then using the boiled tomato water to hydrate the bulgur. If you don’t have extra fine bulgur, I’d suggest doing this. It turned out great, best tabbouleh I’ve ever had! My only regret is that I didn’t have time to wash & dry the parsley a couple days ahead like suggested. Would have made chopping easier and reduced the liquid in the final salad.
Thank you! I’m definitely going to have to try that trick. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Simple yet absolutely delicious! Bright and refreshing. Paired well with air-fried falafel, tzatziki and cucumber tomato salad. Thank you for this recipe 🙂
Thank you so much! You’re welcome!!
I made it and it came out great. But this time I have flat parsley and I don’t have any bulgur.. can I make it without bulgur?
I’m so glad to hear it! You can substitute the bulgur for quinoa or even riced cauliflower!
I don’t know if I used the wrong bulgar but it never got soft. Other than that great recipe.
What kind of bulgur did you use?
LOVE THIS !!! I have to limit carbs so I use riced cauliflower and use 1/2 cilantro 1/2 parsley to give that fresh bite mint would. Cilantro is just so much cheaper than mint. This is the BEST recipe base, I just have made some changes based on my diet restrictions and pocket book! Thanks for your blog….I will be checking out your other recipes!!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you were able to make it work with the substitutes. Hope you enjoy the other recipes too!
Soaking your bulgur in just the vinaigrette does not soften the grain properly. Traditionally you soak it in water.
Could it have been the type of bulgur you used? If you use fine bulgur (#1 grind size), it simply needs to be soaked in liquid to become tender.
This recipe is awesome! I could only find regular (not fine or extra fine) bulgur wheat, and after reading some comments, I was concerned. So I used Serious Eats technique of salting & draining the chopped tomatoes, then using the boiled tomato water to hydrate the bulgur. If you don’t have extra fine bulgur, I’d suggest doing this. It turned out great, best tabbouleh I’ve ever had!
Thank you! So glad you made it work – that’s such a helpful tip.
My daughter’s response to the recipe, “This is low key better than Alladin’s,” a good Lebanese restaurant chain near us. It was sooo good. You need to try it. We substituted quinoa for the bulgar wheat and it turned out amazing.
No way! I’m so glad you both enjoyed. Thank you!
Delicious salad! Quinoa makes it a nice gluten free alternative. I wasn’t sure about the mint, but it really was
nice. I used spearmint. Wasn’t sure what type is typically used. Thanks!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed. You’re so welcome!
This recipe is great and it’s totally my bad but I used red bulgar (all I could get) and it’s a little hard! Already poured it in (whoops!) is there a fix? Other than that it tastes great – 100% my bad 😅
Thank you! You could try to add more dressing to help loosen it up.
Easy recipe, delicious taste. Added more bulgar than suggested .
Thank you!!
I really love your Lebanese recipes! I lived 7 years in Lebanon, and I usually follow your recipes to keep the kids used with the Lebanese flavors. I learned with my mother-in-law the tabouleh, but she uses white onions and she give me a tip that give a very special taste! She mixes 1/2 tbsp of cynnamon in the onion with the hands, before mix everything! Try it, I’m sure u will like!!
Thank you so much! That sounds delicious – thank you for the suggestion!
Hi Yumna! I was wondering, do you recommend flat leaf or curly parsley for this recipe? Thanks 🙂
I prefer to use curly parsley, but flat leaf parsley works well too!
We use one of each!
Thank you for making this video showing how to make Taboulle for my friends! My maternal Great-Grandmother and her daughter came over from Lebanon around 1905 & lived in Brooklyn. When she said the name of the dish, it sounded like Dabouli! When she moved to NJ, the neighborhood had many Lebanese families, so “Sam” (a man so tall that he had to bend to get through the doorways) came to our town weekly with Syrian (Pita) bread, all the dry ingredients they needed to cook and apricot paste (in thin sheets) for baking. If you make another video (or add to this one), please explain why it’s NOT good to use a food processor rather than chopping. Nowadays, we go to The Greek Store in Kenilworth for those items.
You’re so welcome! What a story! Thank you for the suggestion.
Dear Yumna,
Absolutely delicious – I’m fortunate that we have a Mediterranean grocery story in our neighborhood so I can find all the ingredients in your amazing recipes.
So glad I found you!
Many thanks.
Thank you!! That’s perfect. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
I made the taboulleh recipe exactly as printed. I took in to work the next day for lunch with half a lemon to squeeze on it because I am a citrus freak. Wonderful, but then I had the second half at work the next day and didn’t have a lemon, so I used half a lime. OMG the bomb!!!
If you’re a citrus freak like me you will go crazy with the lime.
Best wishes and thank you for your recipe.
MW
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
Love this
Thank you!
Just made this as per the recipe above, doubled up on the parsley, mint, spring onion and the lemon juice, only used about 40g of bulgur, and 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil, and included some cored chopped cucumber, and a red chilli, its was definitely one of the freshest and most tasteful salads I have had, also its a great additional to add to chicken or lamb shawarma’s, also please post a kibbe recipe
thank you
Stu
That makes me so happy to hear! Such great ways to enjoy the salad.
Although of Northern European ancestry, I have been enjoying tabbouleh salad here in New Jersey, at some absolutely wonderful Lebanese restaurants, in this area, since 1993. I first experimented with making my own tabbouleh, here in Jersey, in the second half of the 1970’s, when I was just out of college, but didn’t really know a whole lot about it, back then, as much as I do now. And this Lebanese restaurants, run by local entrepreneurs from the local Christian Maronite congregation here, introduced me to the best tabbouleh, that there is, here on Earth. I have been really enjoying it, ever since, and now, with your help here online, I will soon be making it, and enjoying it, myself! Thank you very much, Yumna. 8/14/21.
What a wonderful story! Can’t wait to hear how it goes when you make it for yourself!
This is a lovely and easy recipe for Taboulleh. I have made it before and it is my go to recipe. I too especially prefer majority parsley with a small
Amount of burghal.
Thank you so much! That’s so great to hear!!
Thank you for pointing out that in Lebanon this is a parsley salad with just a small amount of fine bulgur. I love parsley, and I shall look forward to trying it that way when I find the bulgur.
I made a coarser & heavier (also higher protein) version of this salad for years with cracked wheat and chickpeas, as well as the lemon & olive oil, tomato, green onions and mint, sometimes with chopped cucumbers as well. Always loved stuffing it in pita pockets.
Of course! Hope you find some bulgur soon!
I would like a recipe for raw kibbe
Thank you for the suggestion!
the lemon juice softens the bulgar, but here in Europe we tend use couscous fine.
The couscous sounds like a fun take on tabbouleh!
What kind of mint is used? Peppermint or spearmint?
Either will work, but I’d recommend spearmint if possible.
Amazing, second time making your recipe. I added chickpeas last time and this time I am adding them and kidney beans. Yum
Thank you! I love the sound of those additions!
I like this salad taboula
Thank you!
THIS. This is the recipe I’ve been looking for!! I had some Tabbouleh from a Lebanese Resturant and have been craving it ever since. Yours looked exactly like it, lots and lots of parsley and not a lot of bulgar, which I’ve found to be what makes Lebanese tabbouleh unique and might I add, way more flavorful! I had to buy fine bulgar off of Amazon because none of my stores carry it sadly. But it was perfect!! I think I’m gonna have to make this every day! Haha thank you! Btw, if you want to post more Lebanese recipes on your TikTok and here, I’d be very happy to make them! Thank you!
Yay! I’m glad you came across this and loved it! I’ll definitely keep that in mind!
This is the best tabbouleh! My family is Lebanese and I grew up eating it. This recipe is fresh, simple, and delicious. Make sure to add the mint. It makes all the difference. I have made it many times over the last few months. An idea to make the chopping go very quickly is to use a mezzaluna. So fast and perfectly chopped! Thank you for sharing!
Wow, thank you so much! I think the mint really makes a big difference too. You’re so welcome!
This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!!! Can’t wait to try it using my bumper crop of parsley.😋
Thank you so much! Let me know how that goes!
I tried your recipe Yumna and it is by far the best recipe of tabbouleh I’ve tried! It tastes so fresh and delicious! Very authentic!
My vegan daughter and I both love it! I’m so glad I stumbled across your blog!
Wow, thank you so much! Love that you both enjoy it so much!m
I want to make this amazing recipe but could only find “Blue Menu Bulgur & Quinoa blend. Can I use this and just soak it as directed in you notes. Or do I cook it as directed on the package?
I would probably recommend cooking it and adding it to the recipe in that case.
Oh and does anyone know where I can find extra fine bulgur wheat in London? All the ones I’ve tried are either medium or coarse! Your version just looks way better than mine. Although it still tasted great!
Thank you! I don’t know if it helpful but in the U.S., you can find the fine bulgur at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients.
Bindu, I was also unable to find a fine enough grind of bulgur where I live, so I bought this one on Amazon. It’s the finest grind of bulgur I’ve ever seen, and should work in tabbouleh without soaking:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008BKQ2F8? I hope it’s available to deliver to you in London!
That looks absolutely nothing like it’s supposed to look 🤣 pass
What do you mean?
I wouldn’t worry about Thierry’s comment. He’s obviously nothing more than a troll looking to insult someone and he sure didn’t bother to post a picture or description of what he thinks Tabouli is supposed to look like . While there are doubtless dozens of variations in Tabouli, every one of them looks ALMOST EXACTLY like yours which, by the way, is delicious. Some people are unable to feel good about themselves unless they c@n belittle someone else.
It’s actually a delicious recipe! And the most authentic recipe of tabbouleh I’ve tried! My vegan daughter and I both love the freshness of the herbs! Thank you!
Thank you so much! I love that you found it to be authentic!
This recalled a word-of-mouth recipe I got from my Mom’s Lebanese-American friend. Except she didn’t pre-soak the bulghur; and I added more lemon juice and sumac. Love the focus on the greens! Some “mainstream” versions use too much bulghur!
It really is a great balance! Thank you!!
well in all fairness the pics do look extremely green to me but, I figuered A) maybe it hasnt been mixed yet B) Some pp Do like extra parsley C) In Montreal the restos keep it lighter on the parsley??? ( In mexico also ! ) but i figure use you Vulgar wheat lol( ok ok Bulgur sheeshhhhhhhh picky much?) And add Any herb you looooove,,, Any veggies you loooove cucumbers cubed, bell peppers, cubed, and other versions ive had contained tomatoes fresh of course, so Really folks why all the fuss its You tastebuds n your tummy add in whatever floats you boat,, this recipe is just fine to me btw I dont understand why ppl insist on being so Rigid. Food should be FUN now lets go out there n get Creative n Joyful in the kitchen We were gifted to have such a wide variety of fresh fruits n veggies make the most of them! God bless n happy cooking !
Excellent recipe!!! Thank you!!!
Yay! You’re so welcome!!
Absolutely delicious! I thought I made great tabbouleh, wow was I wrong. This recipe takes it to another level. And oh so simple! Thank you.
Thank you! That means so much to me!!
OMG thanks Yumma. Best tabbouleh recipe ever. I added feta cheese and kalamata olives. Your explanation of how too, was amazing!! So much better then soaking the bulgar wheat in water.
You’re so welcome! That sounds amazing. I’m so happy to hear!!
your recipe is just fine no worries,,,, some ppl are Never happy,,, ive been cooking for over 60 years and i can tell from the ingredients and spices if the recipe will be a success. Over the years ive tried several recipes from all over including Lebanese friends mothers and grandmothers recipes,, this recipe is authentic and delicious ! for those who dont like parsley, mix 50 % parsley and 50% of another herb or herbs, Or check out regional variations. Dont judge ! Just because you dont like the picture does not mean it isnt delish and honestly this is a food site not a “critic site ” “Dont knock it till you tried it” and ,,,,,,, if you have nothing Nice to say,,,,,, just Shut up ,,,,,,,,, Live n let live. If you have nothing positive to say, nothing positive will come from it, if you spread poison, youre showing how poisonous You are. When we point a finger at another we are also pointing 3 towards our Selves! Now go sit in a corner in a round room and sulk hahahaha Sweetie youre recipe is the Bomb!
Made it once and become My all time favourite salad. I loved all your recipes. Thank you for sharing.
That’s amazing! Thank you so much!!
Very nice recipe and I like the way you explained it 🙂
Ciao from Italy
Thank you so much!
Tabboulah salad is my favorite side to order from our local Mediterranean restaurant, so when I came across this recipe I had to try it. It is wonderful! I served it at a bbq and received so many compliments. The bowl was empty by the end of the evening and I made a triple batch. Well done, Yumna! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe!
It’s one of my favorites too! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it! You’re so welcome!!
I made the tabbule for the first time with this recipe and I loved it. I had it for dinner with a hard boiled egg.
That’s amazing! I love that!!
Tried this today it came out perfect and was amazing thanks so much
Yay!! You’re welcome!
I tried this recipe tonight after reading other comments. I used Quinoa because I couldn’t find bulgar in the store. Sadly I didn’t cook the quinoa first so it was the same crunchy grain. It did not soften in the oil & lemon juice. My question to the group is should I have cooked the Quinoa first? Otherwise I loved the salad. I put cucumber in as well.
Yes, absolutely you would have to cook the quinoa first. Sorry for any confusion about that. With fine bulgar there’s no need to cook it because soaking it is enough, but quinoa needs to be cooked. Hope you try it again!!
I did your Tabbouleh and it was amazing! I didn’t get the bulgur and I used quinoa instead but was delicious too and for pita bread I put some raw flour tortillas on the air fryer, cut them while they were soft and a few minutes later they were crunchy! 🤤
I’m glad it still worked out! Yay!!
I’ve always been intimidated of using bulgur for some reason. So I’d make Tabbouleh without it, or with Quinoa as a substitute (sorry lol)
But I followed the recipe you have on your blog yesterday and I can say I made the best Tabouleh ever!! Thank you☺️
I’m so glad you gave it a try with bulgur! Yay!!
Love this recipe!
Thank you!
Love this Recipe! I have made it so.many times, lots of chopping but completely worth it! I add cucumbers to mine, I love the crunch. 5 stars all the way!
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear!
Thank you! I have made Tabouli many times but never consulted an authentic recipe. I really enjoyed yours. I like knowing how to make it authenticity. I use Quinoa as I am avoiding gluten, but it seems fine. It’s a very adaptable salad too. Love the lettuce wraps….I never knew about that!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you gave it a try!
So fresh! Delicious!
Yay! I love that!!
Reads as awesome and simple recipe – thankyou! Eaten in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon – also excellent in Bangkok at Lebanese restaurant Sukhumvit Soi 3.
Thank you! That’s amazing!
This is so delicious! Looking forward to making it again next week with your wonderful hummus recipe!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you, Diana! That’s such a great idea!!
This is so perfect —simple, fresh, and absolutely wonderful!!!!
Thank you so much, Peggy!
Love it!
Thank you!
I have never been let down by trying your recipes. This, as well was amazing. It turned out so yummy and professional looking. I just added a little more lemon juice cause I love tabbouleh a little bit sour 😉 plus since I had no idea about sizes of bulgur when I bought mine, I guess I bought the coarsest one! But I didn’t get disappointed by its roughness and I let it soak in olive oil and lemon juice all night! It turned out tender and chewy finally.
Thank you very much 🌷
Aww, thank you! I’m glad you were able to improvise!
excellent recipe. i mixed up the greens with parsley, mint, spinach and lettuce. it had been a while since i made it. my middle eastern friend taught me, but i needed a refresher. i knew by the amount of greens this was closest because many are grain salad with greens, this is a green salad made with grain; the right ratio.
Thank you so much! I’m glad it worked out.
Simple and delicious. Made it for the first time and I was obsessed, it definitely tastes better than most of the restaurants I have tried. Will be making it at home from now on. Thank you for the recipe Yumna!!
Aww that’s the best compliment! Thank you!
Delicious recipe, thank you! It’s been a while since I made tabouleh myself and I needed a reminder of the correct ingredient proportions. This recipe tasted the same as when we visit family in Lebanon, spot on! 👌
Yay! I love to hear that! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback!
I love Lebanese food…specially the really healthy one such as Tabbouleh and so on… Is there a book with illustrations? Thanks! Jimmy B. B.
Hi Jimmy – I don’t have a book yet, but I hope to in the future!
Been soaking the bulgar in dressing for two days. I messed up and tried to chop flat parsley in ninja and that was a big mistake! Is the vulgar still usable or should I start over fresh? Also, I got curly parsley this time. Is that ok?
Yes, the bulgur will be fine if soaked longer. Make sure it’s fine #1 that doesn’t need cooking. And curly parsley is what I prefer for Lebanese recipes like this tabbouleh, so that’s perfect!
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing, but most importantly DELICIOUS tabbouleh recipe! The salad was a hit during dinner; along with your baba ghanoush and toum recipes.
Yay! So glad to hear it! Thank you so much 🙂
Oof. Sorry Alexandra. I know how heartbreaking it can be when a recipe doesn’t work out.
I found one single tiny market nearby that had the correct size of bulgur wheat. They had clear bags labeled #1, #2, #3, #4 with a sharpie marker. #1 indeed worked perfectly for me. No cooking necessary. I used less oil and flat parsley and it came out great. The texture was light & fluffy. Five stars. Thanks for the recipe Yumna. Now that I’ve had homemade tabbouleh, I’ll probably notice how soggy & overly acidic store bought tabbouleh can be.
I’m curious how much of the parsley stem (if at all) do cooks usually use. I used the top of the flat parsley down to about where the main stem starts to branch off – so a little bit of the stems. What do you guys use? Just the leaves?
Thank you Andrea for your feedback here! And when it comes to parsley, I stick to the leaves strictly. I think it comes out so much better. However, for cilantro, I do use quite a bit of the stems.
Hi,
We’re an English / Hong Kong family who have lived in the UAE for many years and visited Lebanon many times, and because of this we are Tabbouleh connoisseurs 🙂 !
We’ve just moved To UK, so we’ve had to start making ourselves in order to get something authentic……
Your recipe is amazing, thanks so much for sharing!
We’ll be trying your hummus recipe next
Best, rob and family
Aww so honored that you enjoyed my recipe as tabbouleh connoisseurs. That made my day! Thank you 🙂
Love your recipes…this was delicious!
So glad to hear it. Thank you!!
The recipe was not telling about pre cooking a bulgar wheat. So I just soaked it in oil and lemon juice for nearly half an hour, it still cane out hard as a rock. Had to throw it all. What a disappointment
I’m so sorry you had to throw it out. If you use fine bulgar wheat #1, there is no need to cook it. That’s what the recipe calls for, which is what is traditionally used. Do you know what kind of bulgar wheat you used? I hope you can try it again with the right size because it really is quite amazing!
Brilliant recipe and I just love it 😊 I definitely went overboard with the lemon 🍋 juice but only because I love it. I soaked the tomato in a little salt to reduce the moisture content and it turned out really well. I’ve made some pretty runny salad in my time but not this – thanks
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear. Thanks so much!
Wow! I’ve been looking for years for an authentic tasting Lebanese tabbouleh salad! This one is perfect. It really satisfies my craving parsley 🙂 I also added a bit of thyme from the garden.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks so much! I love that you added fresh thyme to it!
Good, authentic recipe but the ads are a deal breaker. Way too many and so intrusive. Makes it nearly impossible to read or navigate. Thanks for the recipe, nevertheless.
I appreciate your feedback. Thank you!
I love Tabbouleh Salad. I have family in Lebanon. I am American and my niece is American too and her father was Lebanese. I visited Lebanon many years ago. Fell in love with it. Was in Ehden and Zgharta. My sister was married to a Lebanese. I’m so sad about Lebanon right now and trying to help get her husband and son out of there. She has dual citizenship and is American and Lebanese.
Thank you for the video !
I know what you mean, it’s really sad. Hope you try the tabbouleh recipe and it brings nice memories!
Really easy and delicious recipe! Also loved the idea of making the dressing first and soaking the bulgar wheat. Worked a treat! Best tabbouleh recipe I’ve ever made 🙂 a keeper for sure 🙂
Yay I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you so much!!
My husband and I have always loved this. Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s wonderful, I have a bowl in the fridge right now. And I have a garden full of parsley that I have and will use.
Oh wow, that’s perfect for your garden of parsley!! So glad you enjoyed it!
This was delicious. I’d always thought it was made with lemon instead of lime but what delicious flavor. My grocery store did not have bulgar wheat of any kind so I used whole wheat couscous. I topped it with crumbled feta cheese and diced kalamata olives.
That was great option to add couscous instead of bulgur. When you use the instant fine couscous, it pretty much looks the same! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! Looking forward to trying this. Thank you. Question: do you dry your parsley in the fridge or at room temperature?
I dry it in a salad spinner, then spread it out at room temperature for one hour at most. Then I’ll either chop right away or store in the fridge overnight.
A truly authentic recipe – love the way it tastes!!
Thank you so much!
Perfect Tabbouleh! I doubled the recipe and it’s fantastic! Followed the advice to soak the bulgar in lemon and olive oil and it worked really well. I had it soaking for more than 15 minutes and all was great. Thank you!
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that!! Thank you!
I was on our local market buying fresh veg and fruit i thought why not do a taboule libanais as we say in France, i’ve known it and tried it a few Times as we have lots of greek, lebanese,arménien people here so eastern Med food i eat often at friends or restaurants but i never made it till now and i found your mother in laws excellent way of “cooking”the bulgur excellent and easy to do refreshing now summer is here, thank s i’ll be trying some of your other dishes
I’m so glad you tried it yourself at home and enjoyed it!! Thanks so much!
Hey where’s the mint?
It’s in the recipe card as optional.
I have only had store boughten and we love it. So, I decided to use your recipe to make it at home. They taste nothing alike. Yours is so much better. I added more lemon and didn’t use mint. Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so glad to hear that you preferred my version to the store bought one – I totally agree with you haha 😉 Thank you!!
Hmm–I had a major glitch with this recipe! The bulgur stayed extremely hard after being soaked in the dressing for an hour and did not plump up. I had to throw it out and start again–this time soaking the bulgur in boiling water as other recipes call for and it plumped up. I don’t know whether it was fine-grained bulgur or not–the package did not specify–but the package directions called for cooking it. When I finally got the bulgur right, it was delicious.
If you buy fine bulgur #1 there is no need to cook it. It looks like you used the wrong bulgur for the recipe since the bulgur you had specified cooking it. But I’m glad you liked the taste in the end!
How long will this keep? We love tabouleh, but since it is so time consuming, and essentially the flavours marry so well after a day or 2… I was hoping to make it in bulk and we could add it as a side for a few days. Not sure how long this would keep though?
I would say total of 3-4 days usually but I would recommend chopping everything and storing separately if you want to make it in bulk. That will buy you much more time!
Quick question: the bulger wheat is uncooked, correct? You soak the dry bulger in the olive oil and lemon?
Yup, the bulgur is uncooked as long as you use Fine Bulgur #1, which is what I recommend. It will soften when mixed with the olive oil and lemon juice.
awesome salad,!!! thank you so authentic
Yay! Glad you liked it. Thank you!!
Please check the serving size in the nutrition label. 1g seems rather small.
Oops good catch! I just deleted that. It’s essentially 1/6 of the recipe is a serving size.
Do you cook the bulgar first?
There’s no need to cook the bulgur if you use Fine Bulgur #1
I love tabbouleh salad…and pretty much all Middle Eastern food for that matter… now for my novice question. What kind of parsley do I use? The curly or the flat leaf?
Great question! I prefer to use curly parsley for this recipe, but flat will also work!
Tried this today it turned out great!! Thanks for the super helpful videos!! ??
I am obsessed with Lebanese foods ! This past year was very ill and lived on Tabbouleh salad! During the 2020 quarantine I’ve been craving this and Other Lebanese foods ! This recipe was easy and delicious! I may make it thru this quarantine after all !
thank you for emphasizing that it has much more parsley than bulgur. drives me nuts when i see tabouleh with a ton of bulgur and just a spoon full of parsley.
Yes exactly!! That’s how you can spot if it’s an authentic tabbouleh recipe in my mind!
Love this recipe!! So easy and so refreshing!! Thank you! ❤️
Yay! I’m glad to hear that!
Amazing recipe! I can’t believe I can do this at home!
I’m so glad to hear it you loved it!! Thank you 🙂
I love this recipe and have made it so many times! I like to fill hard boiled eggs halves (without the yoke) with the salad, like deviled eggs. It looks nice and it tastes delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Oh I love that idea of stuffing the eggs with the tabbouleh. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Oh dear my bulgar (or couscous in UK & Ireland) is not plumping up in the oil & lemon juice like it does in water! It has been soaking for 45 mins and still looks the same size as when dry! What am I doing wrong??
Oh that’s odd, it’s possible that it might be the specific type of bulgar doing that. As long as it softens and it’s palatable, you can still use it in the recipe. Otherwise, you can just do it with water first and then add it to the olive oil and lemon juice mixture. Hope that helps!
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese/ Syrian salad which I grew up eating, and it’s delicious and fresh when eaten on lettuce beds. I appreciate how it’s truly made 🙂
Thanks so much! I’m so happy to hear that!
I’ve made this a few times now and still the best recipe out there! Love it
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
I would make it soon In Shaa Allah .As your recipe is very simple n easy to understand what i can make without any excuses.Thanks for sharing such nice recipe.
You’re very welcome! I hope you like it!
Delicious! My husband and I made your traditional tabbouleh last night along with chicken and beef shawarma and our friends really loved it!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!!! ❤️
Yay! I’m so glad to hear that you and your friends enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Luv, luv, luv this dish and to find your recipe AND its very authentic tasting..is a plus, indeed! Very easy to follow. I could only find bulgur in large bags, so I cheated and bought a small amount of precooked quinoa from our whole foods market, worked just fine. Fresh lemon juice and a good olive oil are definitely key, so dont scrimp. Can’t wait to put this w/some Greek Chicken Kabobs and basmati rice!
So glad you loved this recipe and all its flavor!! I think the quinoa is not a bad idea when it’s hard to fine the fine bulgur. And yummm…it would be amazing with Greek chicken and basmati rice!!
turned out excellent! thank you!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This It was my first attempt at making tabbouleh! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!.. love the fresh mint added!
Hi Mary! I’m so glad to hear that you were successful in your first attempt at making tabbouleh. Thank you so much for sharing :))
In you’re introduction you mention mint, but couldn’t find any in the actual recipe. Do you add mint to the traditional tabbouleh salad and did you leave it out for some reason?
Hi there, it’s also mentioned in the ingredients section. Under the instructions, I simply mentioned to add all the vegetables, but I edited it now to mention the mint as well. It’s definitely used in the traditional recipe but it’s not always included. I hope you try it and enjoy it!
for grain free, instead of quinoa, try amaranth or teff.they are tiny like the #1 burgul. you would want to cook it, probably. I make my tabouleh exactly like above, but i add salt and a hint of baharat to the dressing
Thanks so much for the tips Vicki! And so glad to hear that you make your tabbouleh the same as mine!
Hello Yumma!
I just made your recipe and it is fantastic! I had a lot of parsley to use so I went and bought some bulgur. By mistake, I brought back the #2 bulgur so I cooked it for 8 minutes and drained it. Perfect! I also doubled the quantity of grain. It’s in the fridge for my guests tomorrow. Thank you for sharing this, it is the first home made and authentic tabbouleh I have ever tasted. What a great way to use my balcony’s parsley! Thanks again! Denise
Hi Denise! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tabbouleh and that you made extra for tomorrow! It’s such a great way to use up extra parsley you have growing. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
I made this salad a couple weeks ago and liked it so well I’m making it again. I’m always looking for ways to include fresh produce in the hopes I’ll tempt others in my household to try something new. Thanks for posting!
Hi Peggy! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the tabbouleh! It’s one of my favorites, especially in the summertime. I also have a quinoa tabbouleh and kale tabbouleh you might like, with very similar flavors! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I’m preparing the salad now, but don’t know whether to eliminate the parsley stems altogether or use them. Please let me know ASAP. Thanks..
Hi Suzyn – It’s best to eliminate the parsley stems. Hope you like it!
Hi!
I cooked your salad yesterday. It’s amazing! Very tasty! Usually, I don’t like fresh greens, but in this salad it’s delicious.
Thank you!
Hi there! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the salad! Thank you for sharing your feedback!!