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Tabouleh is a refreshing and nutritious Middle Eastern salad. There is some variation on the spelling of tabbouleh or tabouli, no matter how you spell it you will love this tabbouleh salad or bulgur salad with its fresh flavors!

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What is in tabouleh?​

Tabouleh is a fresh salad made with cracked bulgur wheat, parsley, tomato, feta, mint, lemon juice and onion. These is also some minor variations of the ingredients from family to family but for my family this is the best tabouleh recipe!

Tabouleh's main ingredient is bulgur wheat, an ancient grain dating back to 2800 B.C. Bulgur was once considered a sacred food due to its resistance to insect attack or spoilage. There are also biblical references of bulgur regarding the Babylonians and the Hittites.

I know I say this about every recipe on this blog, but tabouleh is easy to make. If you can boil water and chop veggies, you are good to go! You can also watch my step-by-step video if you're unsure.

Tips for tabouleh salad​

• All the ingredients need to be as fresh as possible. Try to enjoy it the same day. I've had luck eating the salad the next day when sealed in an airtight container, but two days in the fridge max.
• Don't freeze it, it'll lose its texture.
• You could prepare the bulgur wheat a day or so ahead of time and have it chilled in the refrigerator. Don't add the dressing until ready to serve.
• This goes great as a side dish with grilled beef kebabs, Turkish style lamb chops or chicken shawarma.
• You can leave out the feta cheese and make the dish vegan if you prefer.
• Try quinoa or other grains instead of the bulgur. Using quinoa would be a great gluten free option.
• Substitute fresh pomegranate seeds for the tomato for tanginess.
• Add cucumber cut up into 1 inch cubes. I like to use ½ cup of the seedless english cucumber.
• You can use a food processor to chop the fresh parsley super fine and don't worry about removing the thin stems. You only need to remove the thick stems just below the leaf clusters.
• Parsley: I prefer the curly parsley over the flat-leaf parsley since it gives a better overall texture to the dish.
• Onions: You have some options with onions. I like to use red onion as those work very well in salads but green onions also work nicely.
• Mint: Fresh mint leaves are the way to go and the traditional recipe alway has mint.
• Dressing: Use fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt but you can also add ½ tsp of dried sumac if you have some on hand. The sumac gives it a little more tanginess and depth of flavor.
• Other fresh herbs: You can add additional flavors by adding some chopped basil, dill or thyme. Experiment with flavors to your taste.

Step by step photos to make tabouleh:​

• Step 1: Gather all the ingredients and have them chopped, juiced, measured and ready to go.
• Step 2: In a non-metal bowl place the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, parsley, diced tomato, onion, mint and feta. Mix well then refrigerate for 2 hours

• Step 3: Place the bulgur wheat in a large bowl then add the boiling water.
• Step 4: Cover the bowl of wheat with plastic wrap to hold in the heat. Let it stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. The bulgur will soak up all the excess water. After 45 minutes refrigerate for 1 hour.

• Step 5: Once the bulgur is cold remove from the refrigerator and add the vegetable mixture.
• Step 6: Stir well and serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Can I make this salad ahead?
You can make it one day ahead or to take to a picnic but do not add the dressing until ready to serve. So if you are taking this salad along, pack the bulgur, vegetable, parsley mixture and cheese in on container and dressing in a separate container.

How long will it keep?
I only like to serve this fresh. The salad can be eaten the following day if you have a little left over but it is much better eaten as fresh as possible.

Can I freeze parsley salad?
No, do not freeze this dish it will completely wilt the greens and tomato.

Is bulgur the same as cracked wheat?
No, bulgur is a par boiled wheat so it is pre-cooked. Cracked wheat is raw wheat. Bulgur is also sold in different sizes from fine, medium to coarse. I like the medium over the coarse bulgur in my tabbouleh recipe.

Related​

Looking for other recipes like this?

• 
  Mediterranean Parsley Salad
• 
  Turkish Tomato, Walnut Salad - Gavurdagi
• 
  Couscous Salad with Dates, Nuts and Apricots
• 
  Turkish Orange and Onion Salad

Pairings​

These are my favorite dishes to serve with tabouleh:

• 
  Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
• 
  Spicy Turkish Meat Pastries
• 
  Turkish Chickpea Burgers
• 
  Lebanese Cheese Fatayer

Print

Tabouleh Recipe - Middle Eastern Parsley Salad​

A really simple recipe for an authentic tabouleh made with cracked bulgur wheat, parsley, tomato, feta, mint, lemon juice and onion. There is some variation on the spelling of tabbouleh or tabouli, no matter how you spell it you will love this salad with it's fresh flavors!
Course Salad
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword bulgur salad, middle eastern salad, vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour
Servings 6
Calories 189kcal
Author Analida Braeger

Ingredients​

Salad:​

• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 1 ½ cup water boiling
• 2 cup curly parsley fresh, finely chopped
• 2 Roma tomatoes diced
• ¼ cup red onion diced
• 1 Tbsp mint leaves fresh, chopped finely
• ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled

Dressing:​

• ¼ cup lemon juice fresh squeezed juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp Kosher salt

Instructions​

• In a glass bowl place lemon juice, olive oil, salt, parsley, tomatoes, onion, mint and feta. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• In another glass bowl, place the bulgur wheat. Add the boiling water. Cover and let it stand at room temperature for 45 minutes. Refrigerate for one hour.
• When bulgur is cold, remove from fridge and add the vegetable mixture and mix well.
• Serve cold

Video​

Notes​

Tips:

• All the ingredients need to be as fresh as possible. Try to enjoy it the same day. I've had luck eating the salad the next day when sealed in an airtight container, but two days in the fridge max.

• • Don't freeze it, it'll lose its texture.

• • You could prepare the bulgur wheat a day or so ahead of time and have it chilled in the refrigerator. Don't add the dressing until ready to serve.

• • This goes great as a side dish with grilled beef kebabs, Turkish style lamb chops or chicken shawarma.

• • You can leave out the feta cheese and make the dish vegan if you prefer.

• • Try quinoa or other grains instead of the bulgur. Using quinoa would be a great gluten free option.

• • Substitute fresh pomegranate seeds for the tomato for tanginess.

• • Add cucumber cut up into 1 inch cubes. I like to use ½ cup of the seedless english cucumber.

• • You can use a food processor to chop the fresh parsley super fine and don't worry about removing the thin stems. You only need to remove the thick stems just below the leaf clusters.

• • Parsley: I prefer the curly parsley over the flat-leaf parsley since it gives a better overall texture to the dish.

• • Onions: You have some options with onions. I like to use red onion as those work very well in salads but green onions also work nicely.

• • Mint: Fresh mint leaves are the way to go and the traditional recipe alway has mint.

• • Dressing: Use fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt but you can also add ½ tsp of dried sumac if you have some on hand. The sumac gives it a little more tanginess and depth of flavor.
  • Other fresh herbs: You can add additional flavors by adding some chopped basil, dill or thyme. Experiment with flavors to your taste.

Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I make this salad ahead?
You can make it one day ahead or to take to a picnic but do not add the dressing until ready to serve. So if you are taking this salad along, pack the bulgur, vegetable, parsley mixture and cheese in on container and dressing in a separate container.
How long will it keep?
I only like to serve this fresh. The salad can be eaten the following day if you have a little left over but it is much better eaten as fresh as possible.
Can I freeze parsley salad?
No, do not freeze this dish it will completely wilt the greens and tomato.
Is bulgur the same as cracked wheat?
No, bulgur is a par boiled wheat so it is pre-cooked. Cracked wheat is raw wheat. Bulgur is also sold in different sizes from fine, medium to coarse. I like the medium over the coarse bulgur in my tabbouleh recipe.

Nutrition​

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 477mg | Potassium: 265mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1895IU | Vitamin C: 33.3mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg

Originally published July 2018 and updated October 2023.