Easy Tabbouleh Salad Recipe (Tabouli Salad) (2024)

FAQs

What is the ingredients in tabouli? ›

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!

Let the tabouli salad sit in the fridge a good 1-2 hours before serving, allowing the bulgar to soak up the juices from the tomatoes and lemon, and the parsley to soften and lose any bitterness.

Because of its ingredients, tabouli will last in the refrigerator for up to four days, so make sure you eat it before then.

With Tomatoes and Cucumber: While it is not traditionally added into tabbouli, you can add half a cup of each chopped fresh tomato and cucumber into your tabbouleh. Without Parsley: If you are not a fan of fresh parsley, you can substitute it with a combination of fresh mint and dill.

Tabbouleh is a healthy, vegetarian food that has no cholesterol, is low in fat, and high in fiber, vitamins, and much more. Plus, it makes great use of the backyard gardener's abundance of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. This vegan dish can be made gluten-free by substituting quinoa for bulgur wheat.

Tabbouleh is dressed in a simple combination of olive oil and lemon juice. You won't find garlic in every tabbouleh recipe, but I think that one clove makes this recipe extra delicious.

Spices mask bitter flavors, so don't be shy. Add some spicy peppers or powders to your cooking, or sprinkle some onto your dishes for a little bit of extra heat. Black pepper in particular has compounds that counteract bitterness. Some other great spices include cayenne, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

This Everyday Tabouli recipe is so easy that you can happily enjoy this bulger, tomato, cucumber, onion, and herb salad every day! Tabouli is a great side that I could eat every day. I love the textures from the bulgar wheat and chopped vegetables. The flavors are bold from the fresh herbs and lemony dressing.

What is a substitute for bulgur in tabouli? ›

While the classic tabbouleh recipe includes bulgur wheat, alternative versions can be made without it, using substitutes like quinoa, couscous, or even omitting the grain entirely. These variations allow for dietary restrictions or personal preferences while still maintaining the essence of the dish.

Chervil. Chervil is closely related to parsley, but it has a milder flavor — making it well suited for substituting fresh or dried parsley. It's commonly used in French cuisine. It's relatively high in iron, with 1 teaspoon of dried chervil containing 1% of the Daily Value (DV).

Tabbouleh salad is made of curly parsley or flat-leaf parsley, fresh mint leaves, tomatoes, onion, and bulgur wheat.

Parsley is an herb that features in a wide variety of dishes, either as an ingredient or a garnish. It has a peppery taste. Some good substitutes for parsley include basil, oregano, cilantro, carrot tops, and arugula.

Bulgur is made from cracked whole grain wheat berries that are partially cooked and then dried. This process is the key to bulgur's convenience—because the cracked wheat berries are fully cooked (much like instant rice!), all you have to do is rehydrate them.

It's great for your digestive health and skin. Some versions of tabbouleh tend to be heavier on the bulgar wheat, whereas traditionally the parsley is the main feature.

Bulgur wheat – If you're not familiar with it, bulgur is simply cracked wheat that's been partially cooked and then dried. Traditional tabbouleh would be made with fine bulgur, but because I have trouble finding it in grocery stores where I live, I typically prepare the salad with coarse bulgur.

Yes, tabouli is an extremely healthy dish, full of nutrient-dense whole foods like bulgur and parsley. If you want to make your tabouli even heartier and healthier, add protein-rich foods like chicken or shrimp.