Tabbouleh

A Lebanese parsley-and-mint salad with a little fine bulgur and a lemon dressing.

Preparation: 25 min · Cooking: 0 min · Total: 25 min · 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 bunch curly parsley — The source specifies about 2 US cups (480 ml) finely chopped; bunch sizes vary.
• 60 ml fine bulgur, grade #1 — 1/4 US cup, measured dry by volume; not 60 g.
• 1 pc large tomato
• 20 pc fresh mint leaves — Leaves, not sprigs or bunches.
• 2 pc lemons, juiced — Use the juice of both lemons; discard seeds.
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried mint, crushed
• 5 pc scallions, white and green parts

Instructions

1. Wash and dry thoroughly

   Wash parsley, mint, scallions, and tomato. Remove thick parsley stems and use the 20 mint leaves without their stems. Spin or pat the herbs dry; water clinging to the leaves will dilute the dressing. Trim roots and damaged leaves from the scallions.

   The herbs are dry enough not to wet the cutting board.

2. Soften the fine bulgur in the dressing

   In a bowl, whisk the juice of 2 lemons with 4 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp dried mint. Stir in 60 ml dry fine bulgur. Leave for 15 minutes while chopping the vegetables; fine bulgur does not need boiling for this recipe.

   The bulgur begins absorbing the dressing.

   Check the bulgur: 900 seconds

3. Finely chop the herbs

   With a sharp knife, finely chop the dry parsley in manageable handfuls. Measure out about 480 ml of the finely chopped parsley. Finely slice the mint leaves. Use controlled cuts rather than repeatedly crushing the herbs into a wet paste.

   Small, separate herb pieces, not purée.

4. Dice the tomato and slice the scallions

   Cut the tomato into quarters, remove the watery seeds, and dice the flesh into roughly 6 mm pieces. Finely slice the white and green parts of all 5 scallions. Keep the pieces small enough to mix evenly with the herbs.

   Small vegetable pieces without excess tomato water.

5. Check that the bulgur has softened

   After 15 minutes, taste a few bulgur grains. They should be tender with a little bite, not hard in the center. If still hard, leave them in the dressing longer before assembling. Do not drain off the dressing.

   Tender grains without a hard center.

6. Combine gently

   Put the chopped herbs, tomato, and scallions into a serving bowl. Add the softened bulgur and every drop of its dressing. Turn gently until the grains and vegetables are distributed through the parsley. The salad should remain predominantly green.

   A herb-led salad with a small amount of evenly distributed bulgur.

7. Serve or chill

   Serve as 6 side portions, or cover and refrigerate until serving. Stir gently before portioning if some dressing has settled at the bottom.

   Fresh herbs with dressing evenly distributed.

Tips

• Use fine bulgur, not coarse bulgur or couscous.
• Drying the herbs matters as much as fine chopping.
• Bulgur is wheat and contains gluten; check its label when cooking for someone with allergies or coeliac disease.

Common mistakes

• Too much mint can overwhelm the parsley.
• Measuring 60 g bulgur instead of 60 ml changes the herb-to-grain ratio.

Storage

Refrigerate covered at 4°C or below promptly after assembly. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C. Best the same day; use within 1 day for fresh-tasting herbs.

Reheating

Do not heat; this is a raw herb salad.

About this recipe

Lebanese tabbouleh is an herb-led salad, not a bowl of bulgur with a parsley garnish. This follows Maureen Abood’s curly-parsley and mint version.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.