Tabouleh Recipe – Middle Eastern Parsley Salad

Tabouleh is a refreshing and nutritious Middle Eastern dish. Tabouleh’s main ingredient is bulgur wheat, an ancient grain dating back to 2800 B.C.

It was once considered a sacred food due to its resistance to insect attack or spoilage. There are also biblical references of bulgur regarding the Babylonians and the Hittites.

As a dish, tabouleh is high in fiber, lycopene and good carbohydrates(is there a bad carb? just kidding.) There are multiple variations of tabouleh, my personal favorite is the one below. This one contains mint that I rescued from my garden.

I know I say this about every recipe on this blog, but tabouleh is easy to make.

If you can boil water and chop veggies, you are good to go! You can also watch my step-by-step video if you’re unsure.

Here are some further tips on making a great tabouleh salad.

• All the ingredients need to be as fresh as possible. Try to enjoy it the same day. I’ve had luck with airtight containers, but two days in the fridge max.
• Don’t freeze it, it’ll lose its texture.
• You could prepare the bulgur wheat a day or so ahead of time and have it chilled in the refrigerator.
• This goes great as a side dish with grilled beef, lamb or I like to have it with chicken shawarma.
• You can leave out the feta cheese and make the dish vegan if you prefer.
• Try quinoa or other grains instead of the bulgur
• Substitute pomegranate seed for the tomato for tanginess.

If you like the exotic flavors of Middle Eastern food here are some of my favorites you can bookmark for later or pin them on Pinterest.
Middle Eastern lentil soup is a simple soup that has lots of rich flavors and little lemon juice.
Zatar or za’atar is a spice blend you can easily make at home for dipping oils, sprinkle on hummus or toasted pita bread.
Lamb stew infused with rose water, dried apricots, cherries and almonds has a really nice combination of sweet and savory flavors in a rich broth.
Your meal Middle Eastern dinner would not be complete without a dessert of these pistachio rose water shortbread cookies. These are so easy to make and have such a nice floral note.
Chicken shawarma is a dish you can make on the grill or pan sear with small pieces of chicken, a tasty spice bend and then wrap in a pita with a tomato, onions and top with a yogurt sauce.

5 from 2 votes

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Tabouleh Recipe

A really simple recipe for an authentic tabouleh made with cracked bulgur wheat, parsley, tomato, feta, mint, lemon juice and onion.  There is some variation on the spelling of tabbouleh or tabouli, no matter how you spell it you will love this salad with it's fresh flavors!

Course Salad

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword bulgur salad, middle eastern salad, vegetarian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings: Change to adjust-> 6

Calories 189 kcal

Author Analida Braeger

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 1 1/2 cup water boiling
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed juice
• 2 cup curly parsley fresh, finely chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes diced
• 1/4 cup red onion diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp mint leaves fresh, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled

Instructions

1. In a glass bowl place lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint and feta. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. In another glass bowl, place the bulgur wheat. Add the boiling water. Cover and let it stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. When bulgur is cold, remove from fridge and add the vegetable mixture and mix well.
4. Serve cold

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Tabouleh Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 189 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 5mg2%

Sodium 477mg21%

Potassium 265mg8%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 1895IU38%

Vitamin C 33.3mg40%

Calcium 71mg7%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.