Finally! I’ve figured out how to make the best tabbouleh. It’s just as good, if not better than, my favorite local Middle Eastern restaurant’s. If you try it, I think you’ll agree.
Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is a super fresh herb and bulgur salad, with parsley being the number one ingredient. It’s dotted with diced cucumber and tomato, and dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice. It’s refreshing, light and packed with healthy ingredients.
You’ll often find tabbouleh as a side dish on Mediterranean menus. It’s right at home with hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, feta, olives… all of my favorite things.
I’ve attempted tabbouleh at home over the years, and I’m so pleased to share what I’ve learned with you today. Ready to make some great tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh Ingredients
Bulgur
Bulgur is parboiled cracked wheat, so it’s a whole grain. Once prepared, it’s tender and fluffy. Bulgur is often confused with couscous, but they’re not the same (couscous is actually tiny pasta).
Authentic tabbouleh is made with super fine grain (#1) bulgur and it’s soaked rather than cooked, but I haven’t been able to find it at regular grocery stores. There are several other varieties of bulgurs, and you’ll probably find only one option at the store. So, cook (or soak) it according to the package directions.
Fresh Parsley
Authentic tabbouli uses a ton of parsley. That’s why this salad is so green! I tried both flat-leaf and curly, and for once, curly is the way to go. Even when it’s chopped very small, curly parsley offers some extra volume that makes this tabbouleh so pleasant to eat.
Fresh Mint and Green Onion
Mint is standard and adds even more fresh flavor. That said, it can be expensive if you don’t grow it at home, so you can skip it if you’d rather.
Green onion is my mild onion of choice. It’s perfect in tabbouleh.
Cucumber and Tomato
Fresh cucumber and tomato add more texture and color, and build on the refreshing factor. Have I said refreshing enough yet?
Lebanese readers have informed me that cucumber is unusual in tabbouleh, which is news to me! You can skip it if you’d like, but it’s quite nice.
Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Garlic
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.
How to Make the Best Tabbouleh
1) Salt your tomato and cucumber, and drain off the excess juice.
Fortunately, this doesn’t take any extra time. Tomato and cucumber release a lot of moisture when they’re exposed to salt, and will make your tabbouleh way too watery if you do not drain it off.
Simply combine the tomato and cucumber in a bowl with some salt (you’ll find these instructions in the recipe below), and set it aside while you chop the parsley. Drain off the excess juice before you stir the salad together. Easy!
2) Use lots of parsley and chop it finely.
This recipe calls for three bunches of parsley, and the easiest way to chop that much parsley is in your food processor. You can do it by hand, but it will take a while. Don’t worry about removing the thin parsley stems—they offer a lot of great flavor.
3) Season sufficiently with lemon juice and salt.
Tabbouleh should be zingy and full of flavor, and you’ll need to use enough lemon and salt to get there.
Watch How to Make Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh Serving Suggestions
Tabbouleh is typically served chilled or at room temperature. It’s a perfect side dish or salad to offer with Mediterranean/Middle Eastern meals. Here are a few suggestions:
- Dips and spreads: Creamy Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Tzatziki, Tahini Sauce
- Crispy Baked Falafel
- Fattoush Salad with Mint Dressing
- Mujaddara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
- Dukkah with bread and olive oil
Please let me know how your tabbouleh turns out in the comments! I hope you love it.
Best Tabbouleh
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Various
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Learn how to make delicious, authentic tabbouleh at home! This tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is even better than your favorite Lebanese restaurant’s. Recipe yields 6 servings (a little over 1 cup each).
Ingredients
- ½ cup bulgur
- 1 cup diced cucumber (1 small-to-medium)
- 1 cup diced tomato* (1 large)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 3 medium bunches curly parsley
- ⅓ cup (⅔ ounce) chopped fresh mint (optional but recommended—you can chop it in the food processor with the parsley)
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced green onion
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
Instructions
- Cook or soak the bulgur until tender according to package directions. Drain off any excess water, and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, combine the diced cucumber and tomato in a medium bowl with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Stir, and let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes, or until you’re ready to mix the salad.
- To prepare the parsley, cut off the thick stems. Then, finely chop the parsley and remaining stems—you can do this by hand, but it’s much easier in a food processor with the standard “S” blade. Process 1 bunch at a time (it should yield about 1 cup chopped), transferring the chopped parsley to a large serving bowl before proceeding with the next.
- Add the cooled bulgur, chopped fresh mint (if using) and green onion to the bowl of parsley. Strain off and discard the cucumber and tomato juice that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl (this ensures that your tabbouleh isn’t too watery). Add the strained cucumber and tomato to the bowl.
- In a small measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Pour it into the salad and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust if necessary—add another tablespoon of lemon juice for zing, or salt for more overall flavor.
- If you have the time, let the salad rest for 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors mingle. Otherwise, you can serve it immediately or chill it for later. Tabbouleh will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Make it gluten free: Bulgur is not gluten free (it’s cracked wheat). Substitute quinoa for an untraditional gluten-free option. You’ll use the same amount (½ cup) uncooked quinoa, or 1 ½ cups cooked leftover quinoa. Here’s how to cook quinoa.
*Tomato note: Use the most ripe and red tomatoes you can find! If you’re making this salad when tomatoes aren’t in season, cherry tomatoes might be your best bet.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Daniel Yakoubian
Great recipe! I’m Armenian and my mother grew up in an orphanage in Aleppo – so she when she prepared tabbouleh, it was the real deal with probably a Syrian tilt. Extra fine bulgur should be more available these days, and is important – and it never needs to be cooked – it readily absorbs the liquids. My mom would add a little tomato paste – I don’t. Most important for me is the TOMATOES. I don’t even bother making it unless I have homegrown – the are critical to the flavor – so is the parsley and mint, but it seems much easier to get flavorful parsley and mint than tomatoes. I wonder if there is a more nutritious dish in the world! Think about those flavorful and nutrient dense ingredients – and don’t skimp on the olive oil!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing your background with this recipe, Daniel! I’m happy you are excited about it.
Debby
Just wanted to let you know that you can get tabouli through Amazon I think it comes with six boxes good luck I have quite a few hi
★★★
Ro Walker
Good to know, but I bet the homemade version is much healthier ;)
Bachar
Looks really nice, especially the texture. You really need to finely chop everything for a great taboule. I also love how far you went to explain everything, covering all the details, especially those parts where you pointed out how the original recipe would differ. However, as you said in the descriptions above, few ingredients don’t belong in a tabbouleh, I’d take off the garlic (as you said, tabbouleh is served with different side dishes that usually are quite garlicy – but it might be an nice add on as a stand alone salad), mint is not optional, it is as essential as the Parsley. And you are missing a key ingredient, ground cinnamon. (nutmeg and black Peper are optional). Definetly salt your tomatoes but, start with chopping them first. Put them in the bowl, salt them, add the olive oil, the lemon juice, the burgul (after soaking them for few minutes) the salt and cinnamon and let them marinate while you prepare everything else. This will give allow the flavors to blend and soak, and the burgul will taste way better. leave the Parsley till the end, so they stay crisp and fresh. (I wouldn’t use a food processor). And never! Never! Discard the extra juices in the bottom of the bowl LOL! We fight for these back home. This is the best part of it all!!
★★★★
Kate
Hi Bachar, thank you for your comment and detail. I know there are different ways to make this recipe. I appreciate you sharing how you make it!
Catherine C
I made this with couscous because my store had no barley. It was awesome and my partner who is not a salad man really loved it!
★★★★★
Diane CROTHER
You want Bulgar, not barley. ;-) I use quinoa and it is really good too.
Jacqueline C Flaherty
First time making this. I didn’t have Bulgar I substituted it with wheatabix cereal. It taste fantastic.
Amanda
I, um… I don’t understand how that could even remotely work, but OK.
Ryley Palmer
What a great suggestion. I didn’t have weetabix so I substituted it with cheerios. Amazing
Paula Warren
Awesome suggestion! Fresh out of cheerios though, so I used Lucky Charms. (Just the marshmallows). I used the cereal part earlier in some chili when I ran out of beans. LOL!!!
(For real though) As for the Tabouli, it’s a wonderful recipe. So fresh and delicious! Thank you
★★★★★
Hajia
Hello , should I deseed the cucumber and tomato for tabuli Thanks
Lauren Gilroy
Try massaging the dressing into the parsley, then mixing in the other ingredients!
★★★★★
Barry
This salad is AWESOME!
I used pearl barley instead of bulgur but the flavors and the freshness were 10/10.
★★★★★
Alice Hanson
Sorry, I will not make this again. To many greens, not enough bulgher.
Salting the tomatoes and the cukes robs the salad of their juices and flavor, and all you get is salty. Also, I doubled the amount of bulgher because it was so green and and had to add more lemon and even dried mint to make the salad balance out. I’m going back to the taboulleh salad recipe on the back of Bob Red Mill Wheat Bulgher package. This was the worst taboulleh I ever ate.
★
Christine
Tabbouleh should include alot more parsley than bulgur. You may have never tasted an authentic Lebanese tabbouleh but trust me, I’m Lebanese and you must NEVER add too much bulgur. I’ve never seen anyone in my country add cucumbers to their tabbouleh but it’s not that big of a deal.
★★★
Sarah B
This!! My family is from Lebanon, and THIS is how tabbouleh is supposed to be!
★★★★★
Tamara
The greens are the whole point!
★★★★★
Kate
Kate’s recipe is Lebanese (garlic and cucumber are not too traditional though). Bob’s packages have some good recipes, but I would describe the salad on the package as a bulgur salad, not tabbouleh.
★★★★
Tracy
I use quinoa instead of the bulgar and purple onion instead of green. I LOVE this recipe. The dressing is perfect.
★★★★★
Wunderlust Wanderer
Thank you for sharing this recipe – all the flavors come through without fighting each other. The salad is refreshing and bright…my husband and children always go back for extra helpings!
★★★★★
carol
wonderful!!! thank you
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Carol! Thank you for your review.
Ellie Milianti
Use hemp hearts to replace bulghur to make it keto. And I add lots of Penzeys Greek seasoning. Yum!
★★★
Ash
Not happy with this recipe :( actually my salad is ruined by following it. I had never made tabbouleh with green onion before and decided to try it following this recipe. I also salted my tomatoes and cucumber. Used my garden harvest and was really looking for a nice salad to enjoy. Now the salad is overrun by an onion flavor. I can’t taste the parsley, tomatoes or cucumbers. What a waste of all my fresh garden produce :(
★
Kate
Hi Ash, I’m sorry you were disappointed with this one. I appreciate your feedback.
Tim
The first thing I do is combine the green onions, lemon juice, and salt, then let them pickle in there while I dice cukes/tomatoes, chop herbs, etc. By the time that’s all done, the overpowering onion flavor is gone. Then I whisk in the olive oil and pour it on top. Delicious! (I also use yellow peppers, which are inauthentic but make it so much more colorful. One time I had yellow tomatoes, so I used sweet red peppers just to maintain the color balance.)
Jonathan Morgan
Best combination especially the garlic addition. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Cheryl
Thankyou easy to follow steps looks authentic and tastes authentic hubby thinks I’m a genius
★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for your review, Cheryl.
Vaughan
After I have soaked the Bulgar I squeeze out some of the water and spread it out on a towel to dry our a bit. Then I finely chop the onion, mix it with the Bulgar and gently squeeze it together so the onion flavour is absorbed into the grains. Also any liquid from tomatoes is also taken up.
Carmen nieves
Came out veeery good
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Carmen! Thank you for your review.
Chris
Made this twice already !! So delicious thanks for sharing the recipe. I have lots of flat leave parsley and mint in the garden so was so happy to find a recipe to utilise them . Iam waiting for my tomatoes to ripen so I can use them too .
Thanks again . My whole family love this recipe .
★★★★★
Olena Helen Rende
Dear Kate, just made this salad as I was craving it for way too long, I swear to God, im gonna eat it all, heck with sharing and calories. I just added Za’atar as I put that mix on everything, salad is fantastic. Your baked falafel is next on my list. Just need great recipe with greek yogurt to go with it, any suggestion? I usually do yogurt, tahini, lemon juice , salt,peper, za’atar. What is your best oen to go with falafel?
★★★★★
Robbie
Great looking recipe! Another good substitute for bulgur (if you can’t find it) is steel cut oats. Toast ever so slightly in a dry pan then soak as you would the bulgur.
★★★★★
Fateemer
Oh I love this tabbouleh thank you so much
Nova C.
Thanks for the nice, refreshing, and healthy recipe! Like others, I could not find bulgur so I used quinoa (made by your recipe). I am trying to lower salt intake so I skipped the salt to “sweat” the veggies. Instead I used a spoon to remove the center of the halved cucumber and cut the tomato so the juice drained on the cutting board. Also my grocery store’s “bunch” is larger than average, so I used less to keep it equivalent.
★★★★★
Lily
Just made this recipe for a Mediterranean lunch. I like how easy it ended up being to make. I never made tabbouleh before because I found other recipes to be daunting. Used lemons from my yard and a large tomatoe from my sister’s green house garden. Super delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear you loved it, Lily! Thank you for your review.
Katie
So good! Been craving this because my local grocery store used to make it and they quit doing it years ago. Finally craved it enough to hunt down all the ingredients and followed this recipe. Just like I remembered. Yum!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m excited you loved it, Katie!
Julie Brothers
Super good!!! The flavors and ratios are perfect!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you for your review, Julie.
Renae
Love your version of Tab and as a parsley loaded version at that! It just goes to show from reading all the comments that we all have different palettes for flavour and texture. The ethical differences are interesting. I’m glad of the basics to work on or adjust to my own liking. For my health conditions I can’t have lots of oil at all – I’d reduce volume. And I would try a little finely grated lemon zest; keep in the juices other wise, soaked into the bulgar or sub depending on what I had available. Your version is terrific Kate and I hope Cookie gets some mixed in with his occasional meal of vegies and grains(minus onion and potatoes – which are poisonous to dogs) Happy vegetarian new year to all.
★★★★★
Amy
Delicious! Refreshing the way tabouleh should be. I cut down the oil a tiny bit–1/4 cup instead of 1/3 and it was fine. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Reiko S.
Great recipe! I used only 2 bunches of parsley but it really depends on how big the bunches are. Great balance of flavors with the mint, green onion and garlic…for those complaining about too strong of certain flavors, then use less of that ingredient! If people want more bulgur, they can add more. I used Campari tomatoes that I seeded as well as mini cucumbers that have no seeds. Only salted a little bit to make sure it doesn’t get too salty. I made sure to get rid of excess water by blotting all vegetables with paper towels. Will definitely make this again! Feta cheese and garbanzo beans would be great additions to add a little variety even though this would not be traditional. Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe!
Kate
Thank you for your detailed comment, Reiko.
Lucy
It is also a wonderful topping for black beans.
★★★★★
Elaine
Very easy and very tasty
Need to drain the liquid well from the tomato and cucumbers
★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Elaine!
Rachel D.
Help! I made a batch of this and accidentally left it out in the counter for about 5 hours. Is it bad now or can I still eat it? (Made it yesterday, had it in fridge overnight)
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! Sorry to hear that. Been there. I can’t provide direction per food safety like that. That does seem too long to me.
Jake H
This was my first time to use cucumber and I really liked it. To deal with the “too wet” issue in tabbouleh, I dewater chopped and salted tomato in a sieve over a bowl containing (uncooked) bulgur for about 30 mins while chopping the parsley etc.
★★★★★
James K
Well explained and great. Thank you.
I know I can make it faster next time. I tried to use a blender to chop the parsley and mint.. my fault. A sharp knife doesn’t take long to cut 3 bunches so was better for me.
I’ll add more mint next time. I tried to portion by the video. Wasn’t clear in the recipe.
Anyway, I looked at many online and yours looked the best, so I used yours and it was great. Many thanks.
★★★★★
Siri
Hi I made this tabbouleh today. It turned out so good just as we eat at restaurants. Thanks for sharing. I just added 1 sp of crushed red pepper to olive oil and added peper to parsley.
Lisa Pelekis
Why would you tell people to order off Amazon?? This recipe is excellent! My husband is a chef and we make it all the time…thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Lisa! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Nora
Tabbouleh -does not- have garlic in it. That is fatoush. Not all Arabic salads are the second -__-
★★
Kate
Hi Nora, thank you for your comment. If you glance through the comments, I know others have indicated that this is a variation that’s similar to authentic versions they were taught to make or had growing up. Tabbouleh can have many variations or interpretations so I hope you try this one and let me know what you think!
Dave
Oh my goodness, this was definitely THE BEST TABBOULEH salad I’ve ever had! I’m even more amazed that even I was able to make it. All ingredients listed were easily available from local stores (nothing exotic or expensive required) and the directions were well organized and VERY easy to follow. I’m a klutz in the kitchen, but this dish was pretty easy to prepare and oh so delicious. I will be making this again and again.
Thanks for making this recipe available to the masses.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Dave! I’m excited you loved it.
Rebecca
This is the best tabbouleh I have ever made.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear! Thank you for your review, Rebecca.
Aruna sinhal
I find it awesome and healthy I definitely try this
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your review, Aruna!
Paula Blanchard
Super yummy. Changes I made: I didn’t have any bulgur wheat, so used quinoa instead. I cooked a half cup of quinoa in one cup of water, let it cool and fluffed it and used the results in this recipe. I also added the grated zest of one lemon, to really ramp up the lemon vibe. Delicious
★★★★★
Kate
Super delicious exactly as written!
★★★★★
Natasha
I am challenging myself to salad week, to equip myself with new salads and I am getting healthier, fitter and being 50 – this is my new way of eating to age well. I will tag you on Instagram when my dishes are inspired by what you do. Thanks Kate because food should be beautiful, healthy and easily made – you make this happen xox
arlee
I’ve been making this since the early 80’s when i was given the recipe by a couple of Lebanese friends. I quadruple the garlic, use cilantro instead of parsley, usually forget the mint (truly, i forget!), and “start” the whole by soaking 2cups bulghur overnight (in fridge or it can ferment)with water, the lemon juice and all of the minced garlic, then adding everything else the following day. Love it as a side dish or a main meal when it’s hot weather. NOMS.
★★★
Marianna P.
I’m only used to store bought tabbouleh so this tasted amazing! I really love the fresh garlic. I will definitely make this again. Next time I’ll use cherry tomatoes and see if it tastes different. I went a bit off-script with this recipe. I subbed red onion for the green onion and used farro instead of bulgar. (It’s what I had in my pantry lol) Overall 10/10 in flavor. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
J M Noyes
I like to use good quality sundried tomatoes in place of fresh, and top with moist feta cheese when serving! ☺️
★★★★★
Margot Gordon
This IS THE BEST TABOULEH I have ever tasted. Such a great recipe!
Thanks :)
★★★★★
Shelley
I just made tabbouleh using this recipe. It came out perfect! I used fresh squeezed lemon. About 3 1/2 tablespoons. I also used #2 bulgar as that is what I had on hand. I used 2-3 tablespoons dried mint! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Katharine
This recipe rocks! It always tastes a little different every time I make it and I think it’s based on the freshness of the produce. Also, meyer lemons from my friend’s tree seem to really work well. I dislike Tabbouleh salads that are served with more grains than greens. I am not Lebanese (although my husband swears I am from my decor and food preferences) but I know that is not the authentic way. Now if you could teach me how to make a very textured feta and herb dip that you often see served at Mediterrain Cafe’s then I will be one happy camper!
Jean
This by far is the best tabbouleh recipe ever. Been to many Lebanese restaurants over 53 years. This rivals them all. I highly recommend fresh mint and definitely Compari tomatoes, if you can get them. Best flavor! Time consuming, but worth the effort. Make a large batch because of time involved.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for your comment and review, Jean! I’m happy this the best you have had.
Arleigh
Kate I have been craving tabbouleh for days and today is the day! Going to soak the bulgur now. Supper will be awesome tonight. Can’t wait and thanks the recipe sounds right up my alley
Kate
That’s great! I hope you love it. Be sure to report back to let me know what you think.
Nicole
I don’t have bulgar so I’m going to try a little ground flaxseed. I hope I don’t ruin it. Wondering if anyone has tried that as a substitute.
Kate
Hi, I don’t think that will get you the same result. What did you think?
MaryJay
This is a great recipe and I add about a cup of cooked chickpeas as well as a cup of baby sweet corn. Then I melt some aged cheddar cheese on a flour tortilla and load the wrap with the salad. It makes a full meal with the added chickpeas. Although a departure from traditional tabbouleh, my friends and I are addicted to it.
★★★★★
Gemma ind
Really is the best tabboleh. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad you liked it.
Norma Jane Samson
How long will this keep on the fridge?
Kate
Hi Norma, see the last step. It should be fine refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Jack Shaheen
I use less parsley and mint. I also deseed my tomatoes and cucumber. No soaking in salt.
Other than that pretty much the way the author makes hers.
★★★★
Rebecca
This was so good! I’ve mad it twice now.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoy it, Rebecca! Thank you for your review.
Maggie
Great recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Maggie!
Jodi
Just made this for lunch today. Excellent! I will definitely be making again. Thanks!
★★★★★
Lucky
Hi I don’t have bulgar wheat, Can I replace it with cracked wheat?
Kate
Hi, see the recommendations in the notes.
Monroe
This dish (and recipe) honestly cured a fast food addiction of mine. So happy!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Monroe, I’m glad you tried it!
Laura Morland
Dear Kate, This recipe was a lifesaver! I’d promised to bring tabbouleh to a potluck, but I hadn’t made it in decades.
Did you know that your recipe is the first one that pops up on Google for “tabouli recipe” ? And that’s not even spelling it the way you do! Lucky me.
Feedback: I made it nearly 100% according to your recipe, except that I left out the garlic (mainly because I was running out of time).
1/ As you wrote, “curly parsley is best, for once.” It may also be best for the food processor. One guy wrote that his food processor didn’t process the parsley, but he must have been using flat leaf, because the curley parsley chopped up perfectly in mine. So glad that I didn’t try to cut all that parsley with a knife!
2/ Honestly, I didn’t measure the “dressing” ingredients. I just kept adding (separately) oil, salt, and lemon juice until it tasted right. I held to your adage that it needs “lots of salt and lemon” to attain the proper “zing.” I was very grateful for those words.
3/ One woman wrote a negative review because “the green onions ruined the taste of the salad.” So at first I didn’t add any, but the salad was missing a “certain element.” After I added some finely chopped green onions (white parts), that gap was filled.
Finally, too bad for the folks in the Middle East that cucumbers aren’t traditional, because I agree with you: they are *wonderful* in this salad!
Thank you very much. I’m subscribing to you now.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Laura! I’m delighted you found my research, reader blog comments and recipe approach helpful. Thanks for your detailed comment!
Ann Cromwell
I tried to skim the comments for an answer to my question but ran out of time. I have home grown parsley so have no clue how much “3 medium bunches” of parsley is. Could you add a weight for parsley perhaps?
Kate
Hi Anne, You can try about 3 large cups. I hope that helps!
Theresa Holland
I had a craving for tabbouleh the other day and did not have enough parsley, so I used half cilantro. It was absolutely delicious! I’m from San Antonio so I added a serrano pepper and a little red bell pepper. That is the way I make it now. Sometimes I’ll add avocado for a complete meal! Also…Its a wonderful side dish with fish!
Linda Shukri
Hi Kate,
My husband is from Lebanon and grew up with tabouli made with cracked wheat. I never cared for the cracked wheat and barely ate any at family gatherings. But a number of years ago I came across a recipe using quinoa and that’s how I make it. My husband PREFERS the quinoa tabouli over the cracked wheat! And I do too! My side of the family loves the quinoa tabouli too. I also use English cukes. I don’t salt it. I cut out the seeds and I use grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half or quartered. I also chop the parsley by hand as another Lebanese person said many years ago that it makes the parsley too fine. :-) To each his own!
Kate
Thank you for sharing how your family makes it, Linda.
dorothy
what size bulgar did you use? #1 or #2
John
I hate salad as us Europeans make with huge leaves and nasty vinegrete. I first had Tabbouleh when in North Africa, it looked nice, and it was lovely . Your recipe was great. No cucumber or oil for me, but what a great taste. Thanks for the inspiration to start making it at home.
MorningStar Leon
I wanted a higher protein to starch ratio (diabetic), so I bought dried French lentils. They cook in about 20 minutes. I used them instead of bulghur. The only other change I made was that I don’t care for mint, so I used lots of fresh dill. I’ve been taking it to work for lunches, with a handful of bright mini-tomatoes and a dozen kalamata olives stirred in.
★★★★
Ashley Tarr
Very good turn out for my first time making tabbouleh. I did mix it up a bit.
I wasn’t quite sure if I would enjoy the bulgar so I ended up using a third bulgar, quinoa and couscous. I also used more red onion than green. I love red onion and it adds more colour to my food.
It does taste better once it sits in the fridge for a little bit. Turned out deliciously fresh and zingy. :)
★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ashley!
Jeannie
This recipe was delicious! I made it as directed with no substitutions.
You mentioned that traditional tabbouleh does not have the cucumbers but I love the crunch and texture it provides and plan to keep it!
Thank you for sharing this tasty healthy dish.
★★★★★
Rob White
I’m just an enthusiastic amateur in the kitchen but I don’t let that stop me from diving in. I found this recipe as I was working on dinner of schwarma chicken with a yoghurt jalepeno sauce for the tabbouleh, honey glazed sesame crusted Halloumi cheese, and Moroccan semolina flatbread.
I followed your numbers and ended up with a HUGE pile of chopped parsely – probably would’ve been good with 1/3 of the parsley. I felt that I needed to add more cucumber and tomato to give them a presence in the dish. I used 250g (uncooked) of freekeh instead of your bulgar. This was my first experience with freekeh but won’t be my last.
I ended up with almost 4 quarts of tabbouleh, so I’ll be experimenting with freezing some of it, for sure.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Rob. I’m glad you found an option that worked for you.
Rob White
To follow up on my freezing experiment: I spooned heaping tablespoons’ full into silicon mini-muffin cups to freeze the tabbouleh, then put them in a zip-lock bag to stow in the freezer. When they’ve defrosted I feel that the parsley has lost some of its texture and it can be watery. I’ve drained the excess liquid and mixed the greens into some cream cheese for a great sandwich/bagel spread.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for following up! I’m glad it wasn’t too bad.
Theresa Custodero
My first time making this but with all the curled parsley and mint in my garden now was the time. I couldn’t find bulgar so I used success boil in a bag tri color quinoa. I skipped the garlic. I used some chives and red onion. I used a little more Parsley and mint I used the English cucumbers which were a better addition than the blah mushy tomatoes I. I will try it again when my garden tomatoes ripen All in all I liked it. The dressing was tasty also
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you were able to make it. Yes, fresh garden tomatoes would be delicious!
Tony Pérez
Hi Kate,
I’m a Spaniard in Crete. This week has been over 40C/100F degrees and my family wanted something light and fresh for dinner. You came to the rescue. I used home grown tomatoes and lemons, Greek EVOO, and the rest of vegetables from Pripis Produce store in Kalyves. Great tabbouleh, thank you very much.
Tony Pérez
Almyrida, Crete, Greece
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you were able to enjoy this recipe, Tony!
Cynthia Ris
I improvised a bit, but oh my gosh, I have to stop myself from eating too much because this is so delicious! I made 1 C of bulgur thinking I might use it for something else, but decided to add it all. I’ve read in the comments that there shouldn’t be too much bulgur, but I must have had two giant bundles of parsley because the proportions are still much more parsley and looks very much like your picture. I also only had limes, but I really enjoy the flavor. Thanks for the tips on things like draining the cucumber and tomato and adding garlic. Some recipes seem over-salted, but this seemed perfect to me. Tomorrow, I’m making your falafels to have with the left-over tabouli!
★★★★★
Myriam
Whenever I see “best” in recipe captions from you, I know that I can really expect thee best recipe out there. This was another perfect example! We loved this so much, and I’m ready to make it again. Thank you !
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Myriam! I’m glad you loved it.
Ruth Lytle
Delish! Such a fresh summer recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoy it, Ruth! Thank you for your review.
Claire
I made this for the first time yesterday for a family bbq and everyone loved it! Tasted amazing and full of fresh flavour.
GLORIA
Another excellent recipe! I prefer without mint, personal preference. Just great! Thanks!
★★★★★
Deena Self
Thank you for restoring my faith in my memory. I ate at a ‘foodie’ restaurant today and there was no wheat in it at all. None. I poured it onto a plate to look and there was a soup of parsley and tomato and lemon juice. No wheat. The staff became abusive when I asked where the wheat was and then the owner joined in. This recipe is great and has restored my faith in reality.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear you had a poor experience, but glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Sandi in California
Made this for the first time today & it is fabulous! I had everything but mint, so I’ll try the mint next time. Thanks for the tip on salting the tomatoes & cucumber – I’ll definitely use that in other recipes, too :-)
★★★★★
Jessica
After loosing my sense of taste and smell I developed Parosmia and the list of “safe foods” I can eat is very limited. I’m eating things I wouldn’t had touched before and I probably would had hated this salad prior to the illness, but with this recipe has been a godsend. Some days this is the only food my body tolerates. Thanks for posting a great recipe.
★★★★★
Susan DiFiore
I’m thinking of making it with some corn grits. Will cook them, let cool, then combine with the other ingredients in recipe
Luke
I worked 10 years in the middle east in a desert oil camp and know authentic tabbouleh well.. It’s more like a relish not a full blown salad. So about a 1/3 cup serving is plenty as a delicious side with grilled lamb kebobs, etc. Don’t try to take on a bowl full. Authentic tabbouleh is made with bulger wheat as in this recipe. Substituting with buckwheat groats is nice also. Just don’t use too much to overwhelm the salad. Cut it back by 25-50% over bulger. Buckwheat kernels are much bigger than bulger wheat. I only mention substituting buckwheat because I use it in many other recipes. Bulger wheat is not readily available where I live. And all I would use it for is tabbouleh. Thanks for sharing nice recipe, Kathryne. Reminds me of home away from home
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad it reminds you of ones you have had! I appreciate your review, Luke.
Luke
Another trick I learned in middle east desert oil camp. Mix spoonfulls of tabbouleh in with finely chopped tomatoes (or even jar salsa) makes a nice salsa for chip pita dipping. Add splashes of tabasco sauce for heat and flavor. Tastes like jazzed up pico de gallo. Nice. The locals liked it also.We were always tweaking the same-o mess hall dishes like tabbueleh. But no tweaking the Indian food. Most Indian dishes are over tweaked as it is. Needs under tweaked if anything. It seems many Indian dishes use every exotic spice in existence.
★★★★★
Martha Rac
My neighbors of many years made this salad 3 times a week. Love it. We added pita bread. Served along with the kubba. What a delicious meal. My great-grandchildren ask for that green stuff…
Heidi
This may be a weird question, but we’re overloaded with carrot greens from our garden. Any chance carrot greens could be used along with parsley in this recipe?
Kate
I haven’t tried it here. You could also try my Quick Collard Greens and see how that works too!
Michelle
Dear Kate, I just made this exactly to your recipe , and it is ust so nice & fresh I was lucky to get a heap of parsley from one of my neighbours and I definitely didn’t want it to go to waste , I have never made it before so I went to my Go – to Cookie & Kate , you are my favourite !! I have already made a few of your recipes , with my favourites being Best ever lentil soup , Healthy banana bread and your healthy blueberry muffins i must say with the addition of Greek yoghurt in the muffins makes them just extra moist and yum , so a big thank you from Melbourne, Australia I have been busy cooking in the lock- down.
Michelle
★★★★★
Amanda Marie Eyer
I’m a novice in the kitchen. This took me 2 hours to make… mostly because I’ve so seldom used my food processor that I had to re-read the manual and watch YouTube videos to get it to turn on. However, this was totally worth it. Great recipe and as a beginner I really appreciate the extra steps like the measurements on 3 bunches of parsley. (I bought 3 containers so I would have had 3 x the parsley if not for your measurements:) Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you found it worth it, Amanda! I appreciate your review.
Tim
I under cooked the bulgur but I followed the instructions from another recipe. I also tried soaking another batch of bulgur to see how that would work and then I mixed all the bulgur together and it all seemed tough and undercooked. Live & learn I guess.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t have the best results the first time.
DIANE C MORIAN
This recipe is true to our families Syrian tabouli… we always have used cukes in recipe… even Lebanese restaurants use cukes….kind of dry without it Iwould think… very helpful tips in your directions !!l. Nice fresh taste,,, we always let this marinate over nite for best flavor!!l. Thank YOU!!l
Maria Ronner
Much fun to make and delicious
to eat, my vegan friend loved it also.
★★★★★
trish
made with quinoa just as good
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you liked it, Trish!
Sharon
I make the tabbouleh salad with black beans, minced carrots, frozen peas, and tomatoes. I add olive oil and lemon juice. I add feta cheese on top when I am ready to eat it. I love this and it is so good for you.
Nechama
This was fresh and delicious! Definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! I’m glad you loved it, Nechama.
SJ
Best tabbouleh this side of creation!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, SJ!
Lynn
As a former cooking teacher, I appreciate thoughtful recipes like this. I don’t have to take time thinking–there’s a better way. Because that’s what you provide. Thank you.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoy my recipes, Lynn! Thank you for your review.
Leslie
If you’re cutting the parsley instead of the food processor, use flat parsley. This recipe needs less parsley, more lemon, and water. Taste the dressing before you add it and decide how much of each ingredient works best for you.