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Tabouli Salad, or Tabbouleh, is a healthy and delicious salad made from bulgur wheat, minced herbs and vegetables, and a light lemon vinaigrette.
This salad is so easy to make, plus it’s full of nutrition. You can make this salad as a side dish to go with tasty recipes like Creamy Mediterranean Chicken or Herbed Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers. This tasty salad is also a great meal prep option. Just make a big batch on the weekend and it will take care of all your weekday lunches!
TABBOULEH
Hi! Krissy here from Self Proclaimed Foodie and Ten Acre Baker. I’m super excited to share this recipe with you because it’s not only super tasty and colorful, but everything about it is healthy. WIN!
If you’ve ever eaten at any kind of Mediterranean restaurant, you’ve most likely had tabouli salad before. It seems like every time I order this recipe, it varies quite a bit from place to place. The cast of ingredients is usually more or less the same, but the ratio is what changes. I found that my recipe is the perfect balance between grain and vegetable. The dressing is so light that there’s just enough to hold it together and add the right amount of flavor without overpowering the salad. I started off eating one small bowl and quickly loaded up with seconds and thirds. And guess what? I had no guilt whatsoever.
Tabouli salad ingredients:
Much like with any salad, you can vary the quantity and type of ingredients you use, but this is what I chose:
- Red Bulgur wheat – this whole grain is both terrifically nutrition and incredibly convenient. It is made from whole wheat kernels that have been parboiled, dried and cracked. It has a slightly nutty flavor.
- Fresh parsley and mint – stems removed and leaves are minced
- Cucumber – I use an English cucumber that I cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds before I chop it.
- Scallions, or green onions – I used both the white and green parts
- Tomatoes – I opted to use colorful grape tomatoes. They have a great texture and hold up well when quartered.
- Lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper
Nothing but healthy and wholesome ingredients!
How to make Tabouli Salad:
This recipe really couldn’t be easier.
- First step is to cook the bulgur wheat. To do this, you simply boil water and then pour it over the wheat and let it sit until all of the water has absorbed. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on your wheat. You’ll use a 1:1 ratio of wheat to water. You’ll want the wheat to be fully cooled when you combine it with the vegetables and herbs.
- Second step is to cut up the vegetables and herbs. This salad tastes best when everything is minced super fine. I actually prefer to do all the chopping by hand, but you can cut the time down drastically if you pulse everything through a food processor.
- You will mix everything except the olive oil together in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. Then, you’ll add the olive oil just before serving. If you’re in a real hurry, you can skip the refrigeration step.
- That’s it! I always give my tabbouleh a taste and add additional salt, lemon or olive oil, if needed.
Tabouli salad is a great make ahead option.
Typically, I don’t like making salads ahead of time because anything green gets rather yucky after it sits in the refrigerator. Because all of the herbs are chopped so fine and they’re soaking in lemon juice, they stay a nice vibrant green and continue to taste fresh.
This is one of the few salads that I like to make a big batch of and continue to eat throughout the week. Because this recipe is so healthy, it’s a great grab-and-go option to have on hand.
More tasty salad recipe ideas:
- Broccoli Ramen Salad
- Chilled Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Summer Cobb Salad
- Kale Pasta Salad
- Summer Corn Salad
- Best Ever Ambrosia Salad
- Creamy Grape Salad Recipe
- Mouthwatering Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Best Ever Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon
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Tabouli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 cup red Bulgur
- 1 cup minced fresh parsley about 1 bunch
- ¼ cup minced fresh mint
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1 pint quartered grape tomatoes
- 1 cup deseeded and diced English cucumber about 1 medium cucumber
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed for the best flavor
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Bring 1 ½ cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove it from the heat and stir in 1 cup red Bulgur. Cover and let sit for 1 hour to soak. Once an hour is up, drain off excess water, if there is any, and fluff with a fork.
- Add the bulgar, 1 cup minced fresh parsley, ¼ cup minced fresh mint, ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, 1 pint quartered grape tomatoes, 1 cup deseeded and diced English cucumber, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice to a large bowl and toss to combine. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
- Just before serving toss the salad again, adding 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve chilled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
