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Home » Appetizers

Tabouli salad (Tabulah/Tabbouleh)

Published: Apr 19, 2019 · Modified: Nov 22, 2022 by Amira · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

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The most famous recipe in the Lebanese cuisine, Tabouli salad. A wonderful salad to accompany your grilled meat.
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Tabouli salad is the darling of all Mediterranean salads. Not for its simplicity only, but for its rich and tangy flavors. A handful of ingredients and you are off to an edible garden right on your dinner table.

Tabbouleh salad is my absolute favorite salad to make and eat, in the Levantine area, no banquet or gathering is completer without Tabulah. Scoop Tabouli, the traditional way with Romaine lettuce, or simply enjoy it with a fork. Delicious, lemony and full of addicting earthy flavors.
Best served with grilled meat(s) such as this juicy kofta kebab or oven-baked drumsticks.

First Published: May 2016 Last Updated: April 2019
A green plate with tabouli served over lettuce leaves.

Tabouli Salad

I fell hard for this salad when I was just 9 years old!. It is strange that I got hooked at such a young age. This shows you how much I am into lemony dishes. Tabulah was not popular in Egypt back in the early 80s. We were at a Palestinian's friend house for dinner and she made it, my mom happily left with a recipe that has been a favorite since then.
These days you can see lots of Tabouli recipes online, with quinoa with couscous and even one with apples!. These were the words of one angry Lebanese friend, who is thinking that Tabouli is being abused on the internet. Although I am a fan of recipe renewal and thinking outside the usual, challenging yourself ans stepping out of boundaries. She got a point guys, all those other recipes should say " Tabouli inspired" :).
The good news is, I got you some great tips from my friend for an authentic Lebanese Tabouli recipe. Tabouli is a labor of love, it requires patience and practice to finely chop everything, but the reward is a fantastic bowl that everyone will rave about

A big bowl of tabouli served with Romaine lettuce and lemon wedges.

How healthy is tabouli?

Tabouli is known for being a healthy vegan recipe that is loaded with fibers, minerals and healthy fats. The fat in the olive oil is unsaturated fat hence it is not the harmful one.

How do you eat tabouli?

Traditionally, tabouli is scooped or wrapped in Romaine lettuce. You can also have it with a fork. It makes a great side dish with falafel and also grilled meats.

Is tabbouleh served hot or cold?

Cold, I've never seen it served hot or room temperature. It is always chilled. If you have sensitive teeth though, you can serve it room temperature.

Tabbouleh served in a green plate with lettuce and lemon wedges.

Tabouli salad tips and tricks:

  1. Do not use food processor: When it comes to chopping Tabouli, no one can beat my mom, really she is a pro in this. I do not know how she does this but she can chop parsley very very finely- of course her kitchen turns into a mess afterwords. Being always busy with my work back in Egypt, when I tried to make tabbouleh I used my food processor trying not to make a mush out of the parsley. So never, never ever use a food processor, this was very offensive to my Lebanese friend when she knew 😄.
  2. Do not add cucumber: this one was really a surprise for me.. what!! no cucumber. She told me you can add cucumber but don't you dare call it tabbouleh, tabbouleh salad does not have cucumber in it.
  3. Do not use pomegranate molasses: well, usually I do not, but I know people who do use it like my sister. So for tabbouleh use only lime juice.
  4. Do not soak bulgur: yes, this was another surprising fact about authentic tabbouleh, bulgur should only be rinsed several times and that's it.
  5. Add salt only before serving: when you add salt long before serving you'll find tabbouleh swimming in a puddle of water and the veggies will be soggy , parsley and mint will not look wilted.
  6. Use hard tomatoes and chop everything finely:chop onions and tomatoes finely and try to use the hardest tomatoes you can find.

How do you make Tabouli?

What goes into Tabouli?

Tabouli salad ingredients.

Tabouli salad: step by step

Step by step photos for making tabbouleh
Step by step photos for making Tabbouleh
  1. In the bottom of a large bowl, combine washed bulgur with dry mint if using. Some people like using special Arabic spices i.e "Baharat".
  2. Pour over the lemon juice.
  3. Mix bulgur, mint and lemon juice well together. This was the bulgur is soaked in lemon juice and not in water which will give it a distinct taste.
  4. Add finely chopped tomato as a layer over the bulgur and do not mix it in. Tomato will release water which will also acts as a soaking liquid for the bulgur.
  5. Layer green onions on top of the tomato layer.
  6. Finally top all those with a huge layer of parsley. Again do not mix anything. Cover and refrigerate.
  7. Before serving by 30 minutes to 1 hour, take the bowl out, uncover, notice how the parsley and veggies are not wilted?
  8. Add salt to your liking but I highly recommend the amount I went for. Tabouli should be a bit salty.
  9. Pour a hefty amount of olive oil over.
  10. Now make sure to mix everything well together. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
A hand scooping some tabbouleh salad with lettuce.

Serve Tabouli with

  • Shish Beef Kebabs.
  • Chicken Kabobs.
  • Kofta.
  • Lebanese Garlic Dip.

You may need

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This vegetables chopper helps me a lot around the kitchen and I've used the small blade for veggies in this recipe.

A plastic product for cutting vegetables

Tabouli Salad Recipe

Taboui salad, is a famous recipe in the Lebanese cuisine. Tabouli is a labor of love as it requires a LOT of finely chopping.
If you like this recipe do not forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and attach a photo of your finished dish. It is always a pleasure of mine to see your photos and check your own take of the recipe. Thank you.

A close up of a plate of food with tabbouleh Salad and lettuce

Tabouli Salad

The most famous recipe in the Lebanese cuisine, Tabouli salad. A wonderful salad to accompany your grilled meat.
5 from 14 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle East
Prep Time: 15 minutes
chilling time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 242.8kcal
Author: Amira

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (70g) fine #1 bulgur wheat.
  • ½ to ¾ cup fresh lemon juice. (Note1)
  • 2 Tablespoons (4g) dry mint. (Note2).
  • 3-4 firm Roma tomatoes finely diced.
  • 5 green onions (65g) cleaned trimmed and sliced (white and green).
  • 3 bunches (330g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped.
  • ½ cup (120ml) olive oil.
  • 1 ½ 7g teaspoon salt.

Instructions

  • Wash bulgur thoroughly, do not soak, drain. Place in a deep bowl.
  • Pour over lemon juice and dry mint if using, mixing them all well. (Note3)
  • Layer the other ingredients as follows, tomatoes, green onions and parsley.

If you are serving it right away (not recommended):

  • Let it set for about 30 minutes.
  • Add salt and oil, mix everything well together and refrigerate for at least an hour.
  • If you are serving it after 8 hours or more (recommended):
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
  • Before serving by one hour, add salt, oil then mix everything well and refrigerate again for 1 hour.
  • Serve with romaine leaves or eat it by a fork.

Notes

Note1: Be aware that lemon juice tartness fades over time, meaning it will be so tart if you used it right away. But it was just perfect the next day.
Note2: You can use ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh mint leaves.
Note3: Some people like adding Arabic Bharat to the bulgur as well but I like it with only fry mint.

Nutrition

Calories: 242.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 19.1g | Sodium: 616.7mg | Potassium: 352.7mg | Fiber: 5.5g | Sugar: 3.5g | Vitamin A: 5550IU | Vitamin C: 123.3mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 4.1mg
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A bowl with tabbouleh, made by a fan
A bowl with tabbouleh, made by a fan
A bowl with tabbouleh, made by a fan
A plate of food with tabbouleh and bread
A bowl of salad Tabbouleh
A plate with tabbouleh, made by a fan
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I’m overjoyed that you have stopped by! My hope is to introduce you to new flavors, creative ways and fresh takes on favorites. To help you create food with style that will bring everyone around your kitchen table. From weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean. One thing in common, they are all recipes that have been tried and tested by family and friends.

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Comments

  1. Tina Hagopian

    September 09, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    Hi Amira - am going to make tabbouli but I’m not very good at chopping finely so that’s why I don’t do it. However, will give it a go! Wanted to know …if I soak the burghul in the lemon juice and leave for 8 hours do I still put the other ingredients on top of it at the same time, or do I put them in a separate bowl and mix them prior to serving. Thank you - Tina

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I send warm greetings from sunny Colorado. This blog combines weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean.
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