Easy Tabbouleh Recipe: How to Make Traditional Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh (a.k.a “tabouli” or “tabouleh”) is a Middle Eastern salad of finely chopped fresh herbs, tomatoes, green onions, and cracked wheat (a.k.a bulgur, bulgar, or burghul).

Bulgur is a nutty whole grain consisting of precooked, dried, and ground kernels (groats) of wheat. Since it’s precooked, the bulgur in tabbouleh is soaked rather than boiled. With relatively few ingredients and no cooking involved, the most difficult part of making homemade tabbouleh is chopping all those herbs. (The food processor, which can cause bruising, is off-limits.) The stems of flat-leaf parsley are full of flavor, so don’t be afraid to use them in addition to the leaves (just discard any tough parts).

Tabbouleh is thought to have originated in the area that today comprises Syria and Lebanon, and is popular throughout the Middle East, including in Israel and Palestine. Tabbouleh recipes vary not only regionally, but between individual households. In general, the famous Lebanese version tends to be more herb-heavy, with some versions omitting the bulgur entirely.

Tabbouleh salad is traditionally served with the inner leaves of romaine lettuce or cabbage for scooping (not pita bread), as part of a meze platter of dishes like hummus, baba ganoush, and marinated feta. It’s a great side dish for kebabs and falafel, as well as a vegan-friendly option for potlucks. Since tabbouleh can be made ahead of time, it’s ideal for work and picnic lunches.

• For gluten-free tabbouleh, swap the bulgur for toasted brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. If you don’t have bulgur on hand but gluten isn’t a problem, try substituting couscous or farro.
• You can play around with the herbs, too. Try replacing the flat-leaf parsley and mint with curly parsley, cilantro, dill, or basil.
• You can use red onion, shallots, or spring onions in place of the scallions—macerate chopped onion in lemon juice to mellow its flavor.
• Add pomegranate seeds in winter, or diced cucumber in the summer.