A finely chopped Lebanese salad of parsley, tomato and mint with just a touch of bulgur, dressed in lemon and olive oil.
Tabbouleh is often misunderstood outside Lebanon as primarily a bulgur salad, when in fact it's fundamentally a parsley salad, with only a small amount of fine bulgur used to add a bit of texture against the dominant fresh herbs. The parsley and mint must be chopped very finely by hand, a technique that takes real knife skill and patience, since a food processor tends to bruise and darken the herbs rather than giving the clean, bright cut that defines proper tabbouleh. Dressed generously in lemon juice and good olive oil right before serving, tabbouleh is meant to taste overwhelmingly of fresh herbs and citrus, the tomato and bulgur playing clearly supporting roles rather than bulking out the dish.
Serves 4
Soak the fine bulgur in a small bowl of water for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly and squeeze dry.
Wash and dry the parsley thoroughly, then chop it very finely by hand using a sharp knife.
Chop the parsley by hand with a sharp knife rather than a food processor — a processor bruises the leaves and turns them dark and watery.
Finely chop the mint, dice the tomatoes small, and finely chop the scallions.
Toss the chopped parsley, mint, tomato, scallions and drained bulgur together in a large bowl.
Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, then pour over the salad and toss well just before serving.
Serve with romaine lettuce leaves for scooping.
Chop the parsley finely by hand with a very sharp knife — this is the single most important technique for authentic tabbouleh, and a food processor will ruin the texture.
Use only a small amount of bulgur; tabbouleh is a parsley salad first, not a grain salad, and too much bulgur turns it into something else entirely.
Dress the salad right before serving, since the acid in the lemon juice will wilt the parsley if it sits too long.
Some regions use a slightly larger grain of bulgur, though fine bulgur is more traditional in Lebanese versions.
A version with pomegranate seeds scattered on top adds a festive, tart-sweet touch.
Quinoa can substitute for bulgur for a gluten-free version, though it's a modern adaptation.
Best eaten fresh within a few hours of making; refrigerate leftovers up to a day, though the parsley will darken and soften over time.
Tabbouleh originates in the mountain regions of Lebanon and Syria, and its defining characteristic as a parsley-forward salad with minimal bulgur is often lost in international adaptations that reverse the ratio, using far more grain than the traditional dish calls for.
That's a common Western adaptation, but traditional Lebanese tabbouleh uses only a small amount of bulgur — parsley should be the clear majority ingredient.
It's not recommended — a processor bruises and waterlogs the leaves, resulting in a duller, less fresh-tasting salad than hand-chopping produces.
The tomatoes may have released too much liquid, or the salad was dressed too far in advance — dice the tomatoes small and dress only right before serving.
Per serving (180g / 6.3 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
