Tabouli (Tabbouleh)

Tabouli (or Tabbouleh) is a Levantine salad made with fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumber, and bulgur. It’s dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and seasoned with salt and pepper. This flavorful, textured salad is a popular dish in the Middle East and is gaining global popularity.

What’s The Difference Between Tabbouleh and Tabouli?

Both mean the same (just different spelling) for a fresh herb and bulgur Middle Eastern Salad or meze. This salad is vibrant and lively tasting with a hint of fresh lemon.

Tabouli Pronunciation

“tuh·bu·lee” (here’s a helpful pronunciation video)

Tabouli Recipe From Dubai!

When we traveled through Dubai and the Maldives a couple of years ago, there were two salads we enjoyed pretty much everywhere — Tabouli and Fattoush (recipe coming soon!).

These salads were served on the side (or served as a meze beforehand) for almost every meal we enjoyed — along with plenty of hummus and baba ghanoush! Since returning, I’ve made this salad a number of times and am finally sharing it here.

Although I’ve added a couple of extra ingredients to the dressing (more than what is in a traditional tabouli recipe), this recipe is based on a recipe served at a restaurant we enjoyed while in Dubai.

What Is In Tabouli?

The main ingredients are fresh chopped herbs, tomatoes, cucumber, and bulgur wheat. This salad is a great way to use garden-fresh produce like fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.

More details on specific ingredients worth mentioning:

• Bulgur wheat. Bulgur is par-boiled wheat that is then dried to make a quick-to-fix grain. There are different varieties mainly varying in coarse-ness. We like fine bulgur best — not only does it make for the best texture in this salad, but it’s also so easy to prepare. I’ve found this can be a hard ingredient to find in mainstream grocery stores so it’s typically something I order online, but you can sometimes find it (depending) in the international section or in the area where packaged grain mixes are.
• Regular cucumbers don’t work as well. They don’t have enough flavor and are too watery. Stick to an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers (Persian cucumbers are sometimes labeled as mini/salad cucumbers).
• Make sure to get flat-leaf Italian parsley, as opposed to curly for this recipe. Flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavor and curly parsley is used more commonly as a garnish.

Is Eating Tabouli Healthy?

This is a nutritious, vegetarian dish that is high in fiber, low in fat, and filled with vitamins and minerals.

If you’d like to add more protein to this Tabouli recipe consider adding some roasted or air fried chickpeas, some grilled chicken, grilled flank steak, or grilled salmon. (For full nutritional breakdown and overall Tabouli calories, check out the nutrition facts panel below the recipe).

How Do You Eat Tabouli?

Traditionally it’s served as part of a meze or alongside proteins you can spoon it atop (almost like a fresh salsa!). We love serving it as part of a meal with some kind of grilled meat, warmed pita, and hummus (or baba ghanoush) on the side.

More Vibrant Salad Recipes:

• Israeli Salad with cucumbers and tomatoes
• Quinoa Salad Recipe with a basil-lime vinaigrette
• Our Favorite Everyday Salad Recipe with a quick vinaigrette
• Cucumber Feta Salad with couscous
• Roasted Corn Salad with sweet peppers

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5 from 1 vote

Tabouli (Tabbouleh)

By Chelsea Lords

Tabouli (or Tabbouleh) is a refreshing Levantine salad made with fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumber, and bulgur, all tossed in a tangy lemon vinaigrette. Light, flavorful, and super easy to make, it’s a Middle Eastern favorite that’s gaining global popularity.

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings (as a side)

Equipment

• Small pot
• Wide-mouth jar or other sealable container

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3/4 cup fine bulgur wheat see note 1
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups finely diced English cucumber see note 2
• ▢ 2 (10.5-ounce) cups quartered cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 1/3 packed cup finely chopped fresh mint
• ▢ 1 packed cup finely chopped flat-leaf fresh parsley 2 bunches, see note 3
• ▢ 3/4 cup finely chopped green onions 1 bunch

Dressing

• ▢ 1/4 cup olive oil
• ▢ 2 lemons
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoon honey
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions 

• Bring a small pot of 1-1/4 cups water to a boil. Meanwhile, add the bulgur to a large bowl. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt, then pour the boiling water over. Stir, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 15–25 minutes or until all water is absorbed in the bulgur. Remove plastic wrap and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature. (If you’re in a hurry, pop it in the fridge!) I love making this part a day before—makes the salad come together quicker!
• Zest and juice lemons to get 1 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice. Add to a wide-mouth jar with all other dressing ingredients. Season to taste (I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Shake vigorously to combine and place in the fridge until ready to use.
• Add completely cooled bulgur, cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, parsley, and green onions to a large bowl. Toss gently. Add dressing and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Bulgur is wheat that is parboiled and dried. Different varieties vary in coarseness. I like fine bulgur best—not only does it make for the best texture in this salad, but it’s easy to prepare. This can be a hard ingredient to find in mainstream grocery stores, so I typically order it online. If you don’t get fine bulgur, follow package directions for cooking (the steaming method won’t work the same with coarse bulgur).

Note 2: Regular cucumbers don’t work as well. They don’t have enough flavor and are too watery. Stick to an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers (Persian cucumbers are sometimes labeled as mini/salad cucumbers). You’ll need 1 large English cucumber or 4–5 Persian cucumbers.

Note 3: I tried to speed up the prep by chopping all the herbs in a food processor, but the herbs browned quicker, chopped unevenly, and got watery. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but this salad is best with hand-chopped herbs. Finely chop and tightly pack to get the proper measurement. Also, be sure to get flat-leaf Italian parsley, as opposed to curly for this recipe. Flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavor, and curly parsley is used more commonly as a garnish.

Storage: Store this salad in an airtight container for 2–3 days, but note the green onion flavor intensifies over time. Before serving, stir and check if it needs more seasoning or lemon. This salad doesn't freeze well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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