Vegetarian

Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley Salad)

Name: Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley Salad)
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 2 tbsp fine bulgur (#1 grade), rinsed; 4 cups flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, tightly packed; 1/4 cups fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; 3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced; 4 green onions, finely sliced; 60 ml fresh lemon juice; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil; salt and black pepper to taste; romaine or lettuce leaves, for scooping, optional

A parsley salad with a little bulgur, not a bulgur salad with a little parsley.

Vegetarian Vegan Dairy-Free Nut-Free

Bowl of Lebanese tabbouleh, mostly finely chopped parsley with bulgur and tomato — Parsley is the main ingredient here -- the bulgur is a minor addition, not the base.

Prep30 min

Cook--

Total50 min

Servings 4 servings

DifficultyMedium

Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley makes up most of the volume, with only a small amount of fine bulgur, ripe tomato, mint, and a lemon-olive oil dressing -- the reverse ratio of the bulgur-heavy versions common outside the Levant.

Ingredients

2 tbsp fine bulgur (#1 grade), rinsed
4 cups flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, tightly packed
1/4 cups fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
4 green onions, finely sliced
60 ml fresh lemon juice
60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste

To serve

romaine or lettuce leaves, for scooping, optional

Instructions

Rinse the bulgur under cold water, then soak it in a small bowl of water for 15 minutes until just softened. Drain very well and squeeze out excess moisture. 15 min
Fine (#1) bulgur only needs a soak, not cooking -- it should stay slightly chewy, not mushy, since it's a minor ingredient here, not the base.
While the bulgur soaks, wash the parsley and dry it thoroughly.
Excess water clinging to the parsley will make the finished salad soggy and dilute the dressing.
Finely chop the parsley by hand with a sharp knife until it's almost minced.
A food processor tends to bruise and liquefy parsley instead of cutting it cleanly -- a sharp knife and patience give the dry, fluffy texture tabbouleh is known for.
Finely dice the tomatoes, draining off excess juice, then finely chop the mint and thinly slice the green onions.
Combine the drained bulgur, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and green onions in a large bowl.
Whisk the lemon juice and olive oil with salt and pepper, pour over the salad, and toss well.
Let the salad rest for 5 minutes so the flavors meld, then taste and adjust the lemon and salt before serving. 5 min
Serve with romaine or lettuce leaves for scooping, if using.

Notes

Parsley should outweigh the bulgur by a wide margin -- if it reads as a grain salad with parsley sprinkled in, it isn't tabbouleh.
Tabbouleh is traditionally eaten by scooping with a lettuce or grape leaf rather than with a fork.
It keeps a day refrigerated, but the parsley wilts -- for the best texture, dress it close to serving.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 cup) -- estimated, not lab-tested.
Nutrient	Amount
Calories	120 kcal
Total Fat	8 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Carbohydrates	12 g
Fiber	3 g
Sugar	2 g
Protein	3 g
Sodium	150 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredient data, not laboratory analysis.

Photo: HaJunkiyada, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 3:2 and re-encoded as WebP/JPEG for web delivery.