Description
A fresh and vibrant herb salad made with parsley, mint, lemon, and fine bulgur wheat. This authentic tabbouleh recipe is light, zesty, and perfect with grilled meats or pita.
Ingredients
2 large bunches flat-leaf Italian parsley (about 3 cups finely chopped)
½ cup fresh mint leaves
½ cup fine bulgur wheat (#1 grade)
3 medium firm tomatoes, diced very small
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 to 3 lemons)
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Romaine lettuce leaves, for serving
Instructions
Soak Bulgur: Place bulgur in a small bowl and pour lemon juice over it. Let sit for 20 minutes to soften and absorb flavor.
Prep Tomatoes: Dice tomatoes finely. Salt lightly and place in a colander to drain excess liquid for 10 minutes.
Chop Herbs: Thoroughly dry parsley and mint. Remove stems, bundle leaves, and finely chop using a sharp knife.
Make Dressing: In a small jar, whisk olive oil, allspice, salt, and black pepper.
Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, combine parsley, mint, green onions, and drained tomatoes. Add soaked bulgur (should have absorbed all lemon juice).
Dress & Toss: Pour dressing over the mix. Toss gently with large spoons to coat evenly without bruising the herbs.
Serve: Chill for 30 minutes before serving with Romaine leaves. Do not leave too long or parsley may discolor.
Notes
Use firm tomatoes like Roma or plum to avoid excess moisture.
Dry herbs thoroughly to help dressing cling to them.
Finely chopped cucumber can be added for crunch (optional).
To make it gluten-free, replace bulgur with hemp seeds or cauliflower rice.
Avoid food processors — hand chopping keeps herbs fresh and non-bitter.
Tabbouleh improves after resting briefly, but avoid storing for too long.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes (no cooking required)
- Category: Side Dish, Salad
- Method: No-Cook / Chopped Salad
- Cuisine: Levantine, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean
