I created an Easy Homemade Tabbouleh that leans into Herb Salads, overflowing with parsley and mint and bright lemon, no cooking required, and is a simple, healthy way to put an abundance of fresh herbs to nutritious use.

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I love a salad that feels effortless but tastes like you spent all day on it. My Easy Homemade Tabbouleh is exactly that; packed with flat leaf parsley and fresh mint leaves, it’s bright, punchy and seriously addictive.

People always ask if I made it special and I sort of shrug, because the herbs do the heavy lifting. This Tabule Recipe is the kind of thing I bring to potlucks to stop people mid conversation.

If you like Herb Salads that are fresh, fast and not dumbed down, give this a try, you’ll eat way more than you planned.

Ingredients

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Bulgur wheat: Adds chewy texture, whole grain fiber and modest protein, keeps you full longer.
Flat-leaf parsley: Bright herbal punch, vitamin C rich, fiber and antioxidants and it freshens salad.
Fresh mint: Cool, sweet herb, aids digestion and aroma, lifts flavors without being sweet.
Ripe tomatoes: Juicy tangy chunks, adds vitamin A and water, gives refreshing acidity and color.
Lemon juice: Sharp sour brightness, vitamin C, ties flavors together, makes everything pop.
Extra virgin olive oil: Silky mouthfeel, healthy monounsaturated fats that help heart health and flavor.
Green onions: Mild oniony bite, crunch, small amount of fiber, gives aromatic lift.
Cucumber (optional): Cool crisp hydration, low calorie, subtle sweetness and crunch, extra freshness.
Sumac (optional): Tangy lemony spice, adds fruity sourness without liquid, earthy red color.

Ingredient Quantities

1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat

3 cups packed flat-leaf parsley, stems mostly removed and roughly chopped

1 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

3 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (optional)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Put 1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat in a bowl, cover with cold water and let soak about 15 to 20 minutes until tender, then drain well and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands or a clean kitchen towel.

2. While the bulgur soaks, roughly chop 3 cups packed flat leaf parsley, removing most of the thick stems, then finely chop 1 cup fresh mint leaves and thinly slice 4 green onions including the white and light green parts.

3. Seed and finely dice 3 medium ripe tomatoes so they dont make the salad watery, and if using the cucumber peel and dice 1 small cucumber.

4. In a large mixing bowl combine the drained bulgur, chopped parsley, mint, green onions, tomatoes and cucumber if using.

5. Whisk together 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until emulsified; add 1/2 teaspoon sumac if you like its lemony tang.

6. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat every bit, use a fork to fluff the herbs and break up any clumps of bulgur.

7. Let the tabbouleh rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature so the flavors marry, you can refrigerate it if you prefer it chilled.

8. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon juice or olive oil as needed, remember tabbouleh should be bright and lemony.

9. Serve cold or at room temperature with pita, lettuce cups or as part of a mezze spread, and enjoy the fresh herb overload while its at its best.

Equipment Needed

1. Medium bowl (for soaking the bulgur)
2. Fine-mesh sieve or small colander (to drain the bulgur well)
3. Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth (to squeeze out excess moisture)
4. Sharp chef’s knife (for chopping parsley, mint, tomatoes etc)
5. Cutting board
6. Large mixing bowl (to combine the salad)
7. Whisk or mason jar with lid (to emulsify or shake the dressing)
8. Measuring cups and spoons (for bulgur, lemon juice, oil, salt)
9. Fork or salad servers (to toss, fluff and serve)

FAQ

What if I can't find fine bulgur? Use the smallest cracked bulgur you can find, or substitute quick-cooking couscous or bulgur that you pulse briefly in a food processor, just don't use steel-cut grains.

Can I make tabbouleh gluten free? Yes, swap the bulgur for cooked and cooled quinoa or fine millet to keep the texture similar and make it gluten free.

How do I keep the parsley bright green? Chop it with a very sharp knife and avoid overworking it. Dull knives bruise the leaves and make them dark.

Should tomatoes be seeded? It's best to seed them for tabbouleh, so the salad doesn't get watery, but if your tomatoes are low juice, you can skip seeding.

How much lemon and oil should I use? The recipe amounts are a great starting point, but taste as you go. Add more lemon for brightness, or a little more oil if it seems dry.

Can I add other ingredients like chickpeas or feta? You can, but once you start adding things it becomes a variation. Chickpeas or a little crumbled feta are nice, just know it won't be classic tabbouleh anymore.

Easy Homemade Tabbouleh (tabouli) Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Fine bulgur wheat: Swap with quinoa or quick couscous. For quinoa use 1/2 cup dry, rinse and cook, cool before mixing. For couscous use 1/2 cup, pour 1/2 cup boiling water over it, cover 5 minutes and fluff. Texture’ll be a bit different but still great.
Flat-leaf parsley: Use cilantro for a brighter, different flavor, or baby spinach/kale if you want milder greens. Keep the same packed volume, chop fine; if using kale, massage it with a pinch of salt to soften.
Fresh mint: Swap with basil or lemon balm, or simply omit and bump up parsley. Use about 3/4 cup chopped basil for every 1 cup mint since basil is stronger, taste and adjust.
Fresh lemon juice: Replace 1:1 with lime juice for the same acidity, or use red wine or apple cider vinegar (start with about 3 tablespoons for 1/4 cup lemon, then taste). You can add a pinch of sumac for extra tang if you like.

Pro Tips

– Don’t skip squeezing the bulgur, or you’ll end up with a soggy salad, wrap it in a clean towel and really press the water out then fluff with a fork so it stays light.
– Use super ripe tomatoes and seed them, then pat the pieces dry on paper towels so they dont water down the herbs, if your tomatoes are meh try sweet cherry tomatoes instead.
– Chop the parsley and mint very fine so every bite is balanced, you can pulse them briefly in a food processor if you hate chopping by hand but dont turn it into paste.
– Add the dressing little by little and taste as you go, let the salad sit at least 15 to 30 minutes at room temp so the flavors marry, then taste again and tweak salt or lemon right before serving.

Easy Homemade Tabbouleh (tabouli) Recipe

Recipe by Nikoli Athen

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

servings

Calories

203

kcal

Equipment: 1. Medium bowl (for soaking the bulgur)
2. Fine-mesh sieve or small colander (to drain the bulgur well)
3. Clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth (to squeeze out excess moisture)
4. Sharp chef’s knife (for chopping parsley, mint, tomatoes etc)
5. Cutting board
6. Large mixing bowl (to combine the salad)
7. Whisk or mason jar with lid (to emulsify or shake the dressing)
8. Measuring cups and spoons (for bulgur, lemon juice, oil, salt)
9. Fork or salad servers (to toss, fluff and serve)

Ingredients

1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat
3 cups packed flat-leaf parsley, stems mostly removed and roughly chopped
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves, chopped
3 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (optional)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional)

Directions

Put 1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat in a bowl, cover with cold water and let soak about 15 to 20 minutes until tender, then drain well and squeeze out excess moisture with your hands or a clean kitchen towel.
While the bulgur soaks, roughly chop 3 cups packed flat leaf parsley, removing most of the thick stems, then finely chop 1 cup fresh mint leaves and thinly slice 4 green onions including the white and light green parts.
Seed and finely dice 3 medium ripe tomatoes so they dont make the salad watery, and if using the cucumber peel and dice 1 small cucumber.
In a large mixing bowl combine the drained bulgur, chopped parsley, mint, green onions, tomatoes and cucumber if using.
Whisk together 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until emulsified; add 1/2 teaspoon sumac if you like its lemony tang.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly to coat every bit, use a fork to fluff the herbs and break up any clumps of bulgur.
Let the tabbouleh rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature so the flavors marry, you can refrigerate it if you prefer it chilled.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, lemon juice or olive oil as needed, remember tabbouleh should be bright and lemony.
Serve cold or at room temperature with pita, lettuce cups or as part of a mezze spread, and enjoy the fresh herb overload while its at its best.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.