Lebanese Tabbouleh (Tabule) Recipe
Lebanese tabbouleh, also spelled tabule or tabouli, is a fresh parsley salad. This classic Mediterranean salad combines fresh parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, and green onions. Then, it’s tossed with a lemon and olive oil dressing. This is the tabbouleh my Lebanese family has made and cherished for generations.
What Makes Lebanese Tabbouleh Different?
Quick Answers About Tabbouleh
What is Lebanese tabbouleh?
Lebanese tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern parsley salad that is made with finely chopped parsley, diced tomatoes, fresh mint, bulgur wheat, and lemon. Authentic tabbouleh is mostly herbs, not grains, and has a fresh lemon flavor.
What is the difference between tabbouleh, tabouli, or tabule?
There is no difference between tabbouleh, tabouli, and tabule. They are all the same salad. The spellings differ because of how Arabic was transliterated into English.
What does Lebanese tabbouleh taste like?
It is light, fresh, and lemony, with subtle hints of mint.
My Family’s Tabbouleh Recipe
My Lebanese tabbouleh salad recipe comes from my cousin Marianne. She spent two summers learning from our grandmother (sitto) how to make Lebanese food. She followed her around, measured each ingredient, and carefully wrote it down.
Marianne then created a family cookbook, which I now treasure as a beloved heirloom. Everything about this Lebanese tabbouleh salad recipe remains the same, except I use olive oil instead of Mazola Corn Oil. It’s an interesting choice. I suspect it came down to availability and cost when my grandmother immigrated to the United States.
Eat sinfully, live kindly ❤️
Ruth
Ingredients
Bulgur Wheat
Bulgur wheat is an ancient grain from the Middle East. It is available in many different textures. Most grocery stores only sell one texture: medium. Traditional Lebanese parsley salad uses fine bulgur wheat (#1). This size blends perfectly with finely chopped herbs. It also does not need boiling. You soak it for ten minutes. I usually add olive oil and lemon while soaking.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil, or the best you can easily afford. This will make a difference in the dressing and flavor.
Fresh Mint
We Lebanese love mint in tabbouleh, amongst other things. This one ingredient makes the salad pop. If you have it, please use it. You will notice an immediate difference.
Parsley
Because this is primarily a parsley salad, the herb’s quality is everything! Parsley comes in curly and flat-leaf. My family has always used curly-leaf parsley, and I have continued on that tradition.
Tomatoes
You can use any medium to large tomato. I always only use Romas when making this recipe. Look for firm tomatoes because you will need them to hold up when you chop them! Also, always remove the seeds and liquid before dicing them. This is a must! This one step helps keep your salad dry, and we can all agree that no one wants a watery salad!
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
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My Favorite Substitutions
Bulgur Substitutes
You can substitute bulgur wheat with just about any grain. Popular options include quinoa, couscous, buckwheat, barley, or pearl couscous (Israeli couscous). Another popular option is cauliflower rice instead of the bulgur.
Oil Options
While I recommend extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), my grandmother always used Mazola Corn Oil. On a trip home as an adult, my dad insisted she use EVOO. She secretly used Mazola, and he raved about it. The takeaway? You can use any neutral oil and still achieve delicious results.
Gluten-Free Option
If you are Keto or gluten-free, substitute cauliflower rice for bulgur wheat. It’s an easy swap!
My Recommended Additions
Cucumbers
Use any cucumber, but seed it first. Sprinkle the cut side with salt and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Rinse and pat dry before chopping and adding to the tabbouleh.
Garbanzo beans
A cup of cooked, rinsed, and drained garbanzo beans will add protein to this salad.
Feta cheese
Everything is better with feta, right? If you agree, toss in 1/4 cup feta or vegan feta.
Try My Other Lebanese Recipes
- Lebanese hummus
- Batata harra (spicy potatoes)
- Vermicelli rice
- Lebanese Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
- Lebanese Green Beans (Lubee)
Tried and True Lebanese Tips
- Finely Hand-Chop Ingredients: When making Lebanese tabbouleh salad, always finely hand-chop the parsley and mint. I use a two-handled knife with a rounded blade (Mezzaluna). It lets me chop the parsley and mint quickly. For the tomatoes and onions, aim for small pieces. You want them to blend into the salad.
- Remove Seeds and Water: Always remove the seeds and watery interior from tomatoes before cutting. This keeps your salad dry.
- Let it Rest: If you can wait, let your salad rest in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes. If you have time, let it sit for a day. I think tabbouleh always tastes better the next day!
What to Serve With Lebanese Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh is a light salad that is perfect for a simple lunch or as part of a larger Eastern Mediterranean mezze. I love it with Lebanese hummus and warm pita bread (I actually combine them inside the pita pocket and occasionally add falafel). For a more substantial meal, add piyaz, a Turkish white bean salad, or Mediterranean flatbread pizza.
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this Lebanese Tabbouleh as much as I do! Before you go, please leave me a rating and share your thoughts on this recipe.
Lebanese Tabbouleh (Tabule) Recipe
Equipment
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup bulgur wheat, fine grain*
- 2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4-6 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 4-5 green onions, finely chopped, both white and green parts
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt, pepper, and lemon to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the bulgur wheat: Cook the bulgur wheat according to the package instructions. Cooking time will vary by the size of the bulgur wheat grain.
- Chop the vegetables: Finely chop the parsley and mint leaves. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the interior (seeds and watery part). Finely chop the green onions.
- Combine ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the soaked bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and green onions.
- Mix and add the dressing: Combine the lemon juice and olive oil. Toss into the salad. Season with salt, black pepper, and additional fresh lemon juice as desired.
- Sit and serve: You can serve tabbouleh right away. However, I recommend letting it sit for 30 minutes to 24 hours. The longer it sits, the more the flavors meld together.
Notes
- Tabbouleh is traditionally made with fine-grain bulgur wheat (#1). Depending on where you live, it can be hard to find. I buy mine online or at a local Middle Eastern store. If you cannot find it, you can use medium-grain instead (#2). Bob’s Red Mill is a popular brand carried at most large grocery stores.
- Traditionally, tabbouleh is served in romaine lettuce leaves. You can also eat it as a salad or with pita bread.
- Tabbouleh tastes best after the flavors have had time to marry. I recommend making it at least 60 minutes in advance, but you can make it up to 24 hours ahead of time.
- To make tabbouleh ahead of time, follow the recipe as directed. Then, store the tabbouleh in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Store leftover tabbouleh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze it.
I just finished making this wonderful salad! I used quinoa instead of bulgar. And I do hope that my garden parsley starts producing tons more- I used flat leafed but agree the texture with curly is better! thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Quinoa tastes really good in tabbouleh. I was skeptical because I am such a traditionalist with tabbouleh, but the grain size makes it the perfect substitution!
Just delicious. Being a lemon freak, I a
Hello fellow lemon freak, I am so glad you liked it!
When I was first married my neighbor who was Lebanese introduced me to this wonderful salad over 40 years ago. This is my family’s favorite salad. My great granddaughter ask for that green stuff… She’s 2 and absolutely loves it.
Oh Martha, that makes me so happy to hear that! I love that your Lebanese neighbor introduced this salad to you and you have enjoyed it all these years. I believe food and traditional recipes can bring the world together in kind and warm ways. BTW – your great granddaughter has great taste!
This tabbouleh is fantastic! Easy to make and full of flavor!
Thank you Katie. I am so happy you liked it.
one of my favourite salads – thanks for the tips and easy to follow steps
What a refreshing salad, thank you for making it so simple for us.
I love tabbouleh so much. This recipe was delightful and I will be making more again this afternoon.
Thank you Sean. I am so glad you loved it. Tabbouleh is my favorite Lebanese dish.
I make this often! I’m with you, I don’t use non-traditional ingredients either. It usually takes me an hour to make a big batch. I have been known to cut grape tomatoes into 16 pieces :). I always chop the parsley by hand. I have found food processor makes it to “wet”. Just ordered the mezzaluna in your link, I always used a chefs knife but I will try this for sure!
Great minds think alike! Hand chopping is the best way to make tabbouleh. I love this salad so much that instead of four small servings in the picture, I ate the entire bowl in one sitting. 🙂