Tabbouleh - Love and Lemons (2024)

This version of tabbouleh - the Middle Eastern herb and bulgur salad - is zingy, fragrant, and SO refreshing. Perfect for a mezze platter or picnic!

Herbs are arguably my favorite fresh ingredients, so it should come as no surprise that I love tabbouleh. Alternatively spelled tabouli or tabouleh, this Middle Eastern salad consists of finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and bulgur wheat.

Don’t let the bulgur’s presence fool you – traditional Lebanese tabbouleh isn’t so much a grain salad as it is an herb salad withgrains. The parsley and mint are the real star ingredients, making the salad pungent, fragrant, and intensely refreshing.

You’ll find my go-to tabbouleh recipe below. If you love bright, herbaceous flavors, it’s one you have to try. Pack it up for a picnic, serve it as a side dish, or add it to your next mezze platter. No matter how you serve it, I think it’ll be a hit.

Tabbouleh Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this tabbouleh recipe:

• Parsley, of course! I typically use Italian flat-leaf parsley in my cooking, but tabbouleh is an exception. I like curly parsley’s lighter texture, tamer flavor, and brighter color here.
• Mint – It adds delicious cooling notes to the salad.
• Bulgur wheat – If you’re not familiar with it, bulgur is simply cracked wheat that’s been partially cooked and then dried. Traditional tabbouleh would be made with fine bulgur, but because I have trouble finding it in grocery stores where I live, I typically prepare the salad with coarse bulgur. Use whichever you can find – either works well.
• Cucumber – For crunch! I like English and Persian cucumbers best here. If you’re using a regular cucumber, I recommend peeling and seeding it.
• Tomatoes – They add juicy texture to the salad.
• Scallions and garlic – They give the salad an oniony bite.
• Coriander and cinnamon – For earthy depth of flavor.
• Fresh lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil – They create a bright, zesty dressing for the salad.
• And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

To make this tabbouleh recipe, you’ll start by chopping the herbs.

Yes, I know. There are a LOT of herbs in this recipe.

However, I still recommend that you use a sharp knife to chop them by hand instead of reaching for a food processor. The food processor can bruise them, giving them a soggy texture instead of a light one.

Once you prep the salad’s ingredients, place them in a large bowl and toss to combine. Season to taste and serve right away, or cover the salad and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. It only gets better as the flavors mix and mingle.

Tabbouleh Serving Suggestions

I’m happy eating this tabbouleh salad as a side dish with almost anything – say, a veggie burger at a cookout or a Caprese sandwich on a picnic. But it especially shines alongside Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. Try pairing it with a falafel wrap, or add it to a mezze platter with components such as these:

• Dips and spreads. Hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara, and tzatziki are all fantastic with tabbouleh.
• Pita bread.We love to make our own! (Though in a pinch, store-bought is totally fine too.)
• Cheeses. Set out cubes of feta, or make homemade labneh or this whipped feta dip.
• Fresh veggies. Sliced cucumbers, radishes, peppers, and cherry tomatoes are all excellent.
• Olives or toasted nuts. I love to include a few flavorful finger foods such as these.

How do you like to serve tabbouleh? Let me know in the comments!

More Favorite Herb-y Salads

If you love this tabbouleh recipe, try one of these fresh salads next:

• Classic Caprese Salad
• Greek Salad
• Panzanella
• Tomato Salad
• Easy Pasta Salad
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• Pesto Pasta Salad
• Or any of these 37 Best Salad Recipes!