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Tabouli Recipe (Tabbouleh Salad)

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This delicious recipe for tabouli salad (also called tabbouleh and tabbouli) is heavy on fresh herbs and tomatoes. It's a healthy Mediterranean recipe that's naturally vegan.

It's a Middle Eastern recipe that's originally from the Levant region (Syrian, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, etc).

This tabouli recipe is an authentic take on Lebanese and Syrian tabouli which prioritizes a large amount of parsley and a smaller amount of bulgur. I've increased the number of tomatoes slightly because I love their fresh flavor.

Tabouli is a staple salad in the Middle East and is often served as part of a mezze platter or as a side salad. It's an easy recipe to make and pairs with so many types of dishes!

An overhead shot of a bowl of tabouli salad.

Why You'll Love this Tabouli Salad

Tabouli is fresh and flavorful. It's got a herby base and is livened up with plenty of fresh lemon juice and Roma tomatoes. The bulgur adds a hearty component, so it's a nice, filling salad.

You can eat it for lunch with hummus and pita bread or serve it alongside chicken for dinner. Tabouli saves well in the refrigerator for a few days, so you can make it in advance or use it as a meal prep recipe.

This recipe serves four to six as a side salad, but can easily be scaled up or down.

Four roma tomatoes, bulgar wheat, two shallots, a bowl of spices, two bunches of parsley, a bowl of olive oil, a halved lemon, and some mint leaves on a marble backdrop.

Ingredients You'll Need

Here's what you'll need to make this delicious salad recipe.

Parsley - You'll need 2 bunches of fresh parsley (or 2 cups of finely chopped parsley). Rinse them, dry them, and then chop the ends off. Then chop them to a fine dice. Use Italian parsley, not curly parsley.

Roma Tomatoes - You'll need 4 Roma (or plum) tomatoes. They are easier to chop than regular tomatoes because they're firmer and have fewer seeds.

Bulgur - You'll use 3 ounces of fine bulgur. It's a cereal grain that's made from parboiled oats.

Mint - You'll use ½ cup of mint leaves (stems removed). Dice them till they are the same size as the parsley.

Shallots - You'll use 2 shallots. These will be finely diced as well.

Dressing - To dress the salad, you'll use ½ cup of good olive oil and 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (one to two lemons worth).

Spices - Finally, you'll use 1 teaspoon of ground allspice, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Ingredients for tabbouleh salad in a white bowl with a silver spoon.
An overhead shot of a tabbouli salad in a white serving bowl with a silver spoon.

More Mediterranean Recipes to Try

Love these fresh flavor combinations? Check out some of our other favorite Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes.

An overhead shot of a bowl of tabouli salad.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Storing Tips - This salad can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Alternate Methods - If you'd like to cut down on the chopping time, you can use a food processor to blitz the parsley and mint.

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Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Tabouli Recipe

An overhead shot of a tabbouli salad in a white serving bowl with a silver spoon.

This delicious parsley, tomato, and bulgur salad is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine. It's a fresh and bright salad that can be served as an appetizer or side dish.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 3 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces fine bulgur wheat
  • 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups finely chopped parsley (about 2 bunches, stems removed)
  • ½ cup finely chopped mint leaves (stems removed)
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Put the bulgur in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow it to soak while you cut the tomatoes and herbs. 
  2. Drain the bulgur in a fine sieve and then rinse in. Shake off excess water and then place it in a large bowl. 
  3. Add the tomatoes, shallots, parsley, and mint to the bowl. 
  4. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, allspice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk. Then pour on top of the herb mixture and stir to combine. 
  5. Taste to make sure it has enough salt and pepper and then serve immediately or save in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 557mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g

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