Tabbouleh — Never had it? Think couscous or quinoa mixed with vegetables, herbs, lemon and olive oil! Easy, no cooking required, healthy, and packed with so much flavor!! (Great for outdoor events because there’s no mayo!)
When I told my family I was going to make tabbouleh they said, Tab what? Tabbouleh. The ridiculously easy, no-cooking-required dish that’s along the lines of couscous or quinoa mixed with vegetables, herbs, lemon, and olive oil. Healthy and packed with flavor.
After making it yourself and tasting how fresh and vibrant homemade is, you’ll never be tempted to buy it from the overpriced grocery store salad bar.
Tabbouleh is made with bulghur wheat, sometimes just labeled bulghur. There’s coarse and fine and in my regular grocery store it’s sold near the lentils and couscous as ‘bulghur, coarse’ in a plastic bag.
It’s accidentally vegan and healthy. The flavors marry over time and it tastes even better the day or two after you prepare it, making it a great make-ahead recipe for lunches for the week, clean-eating dinners, or easy party and potluck sides. There’s no mayo, which is great for outdoor events.
To make this easy tabbouleh salad, you’ll need:
To make the tabbouleh you simply pour boiling water over the dry bulghur, add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, cover and wait an hour. That’s it.
While you’re waiting, chop up cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, mint, parsley and add them after the bulghur has softened and plumped.
Stir it all together and you’re in for a texture and flavor treat. The bulghur is soft but slightly chewy, there’s juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers and green onions, and between the lemon, parsley, and mint it’s truly an aromatic dish.
Yes! I actually prefer to make it a day ahead of time, cover, and refrigerate because the flavors marry over time.
Tabbouleh will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be served chilled or at room temp.
If you’re not a tabbouleh traditionalist, you can improvise with just about anything in your crisper drawer from bell peppers to cilantro. I’ve seen some recipes swap couscous for the bulghur.
If you need to make this dish gluten-free, I’ve had readers report success using quinoa instead of bulghur (you’ll have to cook the quinoa according to package instructions, I’d imagine).
You’re welcome to add more or less herbs to this tabbouleh salad as you see fit. I know some people love parsley and others don’t!
Easy, no cooking required, healthy, and packed with so much flavor!! Plus, it's great for outdoor events because there's no mayo!
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