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    Home » Recipes » Lebanese Tabbouleh Recipe

    Lebanese Tabbouleh Recipe

    tabbouleh

    What is Tabbouleh?

    Tabbouleh is a parsley salad. Let me clarify again; it is not a bulghur wheat salad with a sprinkle of parsley as I have seen in many supermarkets.

    In every family Lebanese family there is someone who is really really good at making tabbouleh.

    In mine it's my husband because he is more meticulous than me and doesn't rush it 😁 

    The bulgur wheat

    You must make sure you use fine bulghur wheat not the coarse one. The coarse bulgur wheat will soak too much liquid and ruin the final texture

    I've even seen some people in Lebanon forego the bulghur wheat in their tabbouleh salad, though I think it adds a nice texture.

    Soak the bulghur wheat about five minutes before serving the tabbouleh as you don't want it too soggy.

    The parsley

    A brilliant tabbouleh can only be achieved by chop chop chopping the parsley again and again until it is fine enough.

    Although some people use a food processor to chop the parsley I don't recommend it as it becomes slushy and uneven.

    Tips on making the best tabbouleh

    You also want to use nice red salad tomatoes that are still a bit firm as they will be too difficult to chop if they are mushy.

    Using the best basic ingredients is key so when choosing your bunch of parsley, the leaves should be vibrant and not too coarse, the lemons should be fat and juicy and the extra virgin olive oil the best you can afford.

    Don't be stingy with the olive oil as the parsley soaks it up and you don't want it dry.

    onion parsley tomatoes

    How to eat tabbouleh

    I love eating tabbouleh with grilled meats and a side of chips (hand-cut obviously) and it is also substantial enough to be eaten by itself as a light dinner (a side plate of hummus wouldn't hurt either).

    But everyone knows the best and messiest way to eat tabbouleh is to scoop it up in gem lettuce leaves and scoff it down in the most inelegant way possible.

    Sometimes it just has to be done 😊

    lebanese tabbouleh
    Tabbouleh
    5 from 4 votes
    Print

    Lebanese Tabbouleh

    Authentic Lebanese tabbouleh recipe

    Course Salad
    Cuisine Lebanese
    Keyword Authentic, Healthy
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 4

    Ingredients

    • 1 large bunch of parsley
    • 2 medium tomatoes
    • ⅓ small onion
    • 1-2 stalks spring onion
    • Few sprigs of mint
    • 1 large juicy lemon
    • 1 tspn salt
    • Tiny pinch of seven spice
    • ½ tspn sumac
    • 1 tbspn fine bulghur wheat
    • Extra virgin olive oil

    Instructions

    1. Wash the tomatoes, parsley and mint.
    2. Hold the bunch of parsley tightly between one hand and finely chop with a sharp knife.
    3. Slice the tomato into several rings, then finely chop each one.
    4. Chop the mint and onion finely. Add everything to a large bowl.
    5. Sprinkle on the seven spice, sumac and salt.
    6. Soak the bulghur wheat for five minutes before serving.
    7. Add a generous drizzling of extra virgin olive oil.
    8. Squeeze the lemon and add to the bowl, taste everything and balance the dressing with extra salt/lemon if required.
    9. Add the bulghur wheat and mix thoroughly.
    10. Serve with optional lettuce leaves.

    If you make any of our recipes let us know how it went by giving us a star rating below

    We have a lively Facebook group where we post frequent recipes and discuss Lebanese cooking in general, as well as a handy Pinterest page where you can save all of your favourite Zaatar and Zaytoun recipes!

    You might also like these other recipes from the Zaatar and Zaytoun collection:

    • Lebanese Tomato Cucumber Salad
    • Halloumi salad
    • Lebanese Roasted Eggplant Salad (Salatet Rahib)
    • Lebanese Spinach Salad
    « Lebanese Hummus Recipe
    Lebanese Chicken Recipe - 7 Spice & Sumac »

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diana

      April 02, 2021 at 12:28 am

      5 stars
      (Red Mujadra) Lentil recipe tastes wonderful...just like my mother used to make!!!

    2. Zaatar

      April 03, 2021 at 6:43 am

      Mujadara and tabbouleh go together perfectly!

    3. Nadia G

      May 19, 2021 at 2:44 am

      5 stars
      I really enjoy preparing your recipes. I am of Italian origin (so cooking is my passion). Friends and family introduced me to Lebanese cuisine and I fell in love with your food, flavours, presentation of your dishes .... basically, all your culture!
      Your web site is amazing!
      Thank you, Gracie!
      (Do you also have videos of your recipes?)

    4. Zaatar

      May 20, 2021 at 8:33 am

      Thank you so much for your lovely words we are working on more videos coming soon! xx

    5. Nada

      August 20, 2021 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      Yes tabbouleh without any weird grains haha

    6. Beisy Aguilar

      August 02, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      Hello there!
      I'm writing from Panama City, Panama. Tried your Tabbouleh recipe and it turned out fabulose! Thanks a bunch for sharing!

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    Ahlen I'm Yosra, a Lebanon born - London based foodie. Welcome to my kitchen.

    Here you'll find recipes collected from my Lebanese Mama (pictured), some regional classics and some secret family recipes.

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