Tabbouleh – parsely & bulgur salad

©Christina Louise Photography

Syrian, Lebanese, Middle Eastern or Greek, with more herbs or with more bulgur – Tabbouleh  is beautiful in all its versions!

It’s healthy, simple, light, quite summery and bursting with zesty herbs, and crazy delicious!

The key to any good tabbouleh is definitely the herbs. Lots and lots of herbs. Fresh is a must here. Use mint and flat leafed parsley, chopped up into tiny little pieces. The smaller it’s chopped, the easier it absorbs the dressing and the more flavor you get in every bite. The same goes for vegetables.

After everything is chopped to standard it’s simply a matter of tossing it all together and adding the dressing to it which is again very simple and easy to put together: just a little lemon juice, some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Who wants an extra kick, can add fresh pomegranate seeds as well. The edible red ruby not only adds a little crunch to the texture but also makes the salad looks pretty and inviting, giving it a very Chef on Rhine touch!

Tabbouleh

Popular throughout the Levant and Middle East, this herb packed summery salad features chopped fresh parsley, fresh mint, tomato, cucumber, spring onions, lemon juice, and olive oil. Fresh pomegranate arils add a tangy crunch and elegance.
5 from 1 vote

Ingredients
  

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup lemon / lime juice
  • 2/3 cup cup olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper

Salad

  • 3/4 cup fine bulgur
  • 3 cups parsley finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint finely chopped
  • 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1 large cucumber finely chopped, optional
  • 1/2 cup spring onions finely chopped
  • 1 lime / lemon zest of
  • 1 cup fresh pomegranate arils optional

Instructions
 

Dressing

  • Mix all the ingredients together in a small bottle and place aside.

Salad

  • Soak the bulgur in two cups water for 20 min. With the help of a strainer, squeeze out the liquid and transfer bulgur in a big bowl.
  • Chop the herbs as fine as possible. Add to the bulgur.
  • Finely chop the spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes and the zest of limes.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Adjust the seasoning.
  • Mix half of the optional pomegranate arils in the salad.
  • Decorate the salad with the remaining pomegranates.
  • Serve cold!

Notes

  • Tabbouleh can be stored a day or two before you serve it in an air tight container in the fridge. 
  • Make sure to squeeze out the water completely from bulgur or the salad will get soggy.
  • I highly recommend washing the parsley a day ahead of preparation, allowing it to dry before chopping.
  • You can chop parsley up to three days ahead of serving and keep in the refrigerator stored in a freezer bag.
  • Chop mint just before adding the dressing to the salad. The lemon juice will keep it from turning brown.
  • A vegetable peeler is great for peeling the skin off the limes. Then chop very fine with a sharp knife.
  • Cucumber and pomegranate are optional but they do add more to the texture and appearance. 

5 1 vote
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Qurratulain
3 years ago

5 stars
Tried this recipe, turned out very well. Its a perfect salad for the summer, especially with bbq. Would absolutely recommend it. The addition of pomegranate and cucumber definitely brings out extra flavor.