Lebanese Tabouli Salad is mouth-watering and so irresistible! Sometimes spelled as Tabbouleh, the juice and tang from the freshly squeezed lemon and natural juices of the tomatoes and parsley create a salad like none other. It makes a great side dish to many main course meals, or delicious snack, or even a light tasty meal. This will be the BEST tabouli recipe you make!
You will notice I added a tiny pinch of seven spices and pomegranate molasses which are totally optional but highly recommended! The seven spices gives a hint of subtle flavor. As many will say that this is not traditional, you can’t always play by the rules when making special dishes. My mom makes the best tabouli and she taught me to make it this way and oh boy!!! It is so good! Give it a try!
Pomegranate molasses is used by many but it is not a must either, but highly recommended. It gives the tabouli that tangy kick on another level. Truly makes a difference!
How do you make Tabouli/Tabbouleh from scratch?
Zesty, healthy, and delicious, tabouli salad is an absolute favorite!! The preparation has been simplified in the video below with a very easy dressing that will wow you! You can hand chop the parsley finely, or throw in a food processor (be sure to cut off the bottom stems). Conveniently chop the washed and dried parsley in small parts and place them in the food processor.
The list of ingredients
How do you make tabouli from scratch? Here is a list of the ingredients you will need! I made a quick video you can watch on this page to refer to 🙂
- parsley Italian or curly
- 6 medium tomatoes cubed
- green onion or white onion chopped
- dried mint
- lemon juice
- fine bulgur
- olive oil
- seven spices
- pomegranate molasses (optional)
- salt
Can I eat the Easy Lebanese Tabouli Salad the next day?
YES, if you ask me! It even tastes better the next day since it would have absorbed all the flavors of the juice. It is actually a culturally well-known secret that the longer the bulgar sits in the tabouli juice, the better the whole dish tastes!
HOW TO MAKE TABOULI GLUTEN FREE?
You can make Tabouli Gluten Free! You can remove the burgul completely or replace it with quinoa!
Are there benefits to eating Tabouli?
I am sure we don’t really need to ask this obvious question but, how healthy is tabouli? Parsley has lots of benefit! They are known to be rich in iron! It is the perfect salad to add to your diet.
They are also rich in antioxidants, packed with nutrients and known to extract antibacterial properties. Source: Healthline
The Fastest and Easiest Way to make Tabouli
In the video below I show you how you can make tabouli in a much faster way than the traditional way of using a knife. Some people do not prefer this option since they think it makes the parsley soggy, but I have a solution for you to make your tabouli salad prep time cut by 75%!
You want to wash your parsley very well and allow them to air dry until they are completely dry. Chop most of the stems off and toss them out. Typically I chop the whole bunch of parsley when I am using a knife but when you are using a food processor you want to remove the stems since they will not blend well in the food processor and will slow down your quick method.
I remember one day I had some friends coming over for lunch and I just so happened to have washed and dried parsley from the day before. I literally prepped my salad in less than 10 minutes using the food processor and tasted incredible. So, the way I look at it is, why not? You don’t necessarily always have to use this method but it is a great option for those busy days!
Overview & Tips on How to make Easy Lebanese Tabouli Salad?
- Make this GLUTEN FREE by omitting the bulgur. You can replace bulgur with cooked quinoa
- Be sure to wash then fully dry the parsley before placing in the food processor
- Add pomegranate molasses for a tangier taste
- Throw in a dash of seven spices for added flavor
- Some cumin gives it a zing too and is known to help relieve bloating from the parsley
- Serve and eat with Romaine lettuce or cabbage leaves
- If you don’t have green onions, definitely opt for cubed white onions
Tabouli Salad Video
Other recipes you might enjoy
- Honey Mustard Harvest Salad
- Italian Seasoned Tuna Pasta Salad
- Mediterranean Ready Pasta
- Kale Salad with Caramelized Onions
- Air Fried Spicy Potato and Cilantro
Tabouli Salad
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 3 bunches parsley Italian or curly
- ¼ cup green onion or white onion chopped
- 6 medium tomatoes cubed
- 1 tablespoons dried mint
- 1 large lemon juice
- ½ cup fine bulgur
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon seven spices optional
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
Instructions
- Cube tomatoes and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon, salt, bulgur, molasses and seven spices and mix then place in fridge. If you choose, you can omit the seven spices but I love the kick it gives to the tabboul
- In a separate bowl, finely chop washed and air dried (not wet) parsley (or place in a food processor) then add to the chilled tomato mix. Add more salt if needed. Enjoy alone or in a lettuce leaf or cabbage leaf.
Rasha says
This Lebanese Tabouli salad was so easy and delicious to make! It’s a light and healthy meal option! Thanks for sharing Lama !
Mariana says
I’ve been searching for a recipe that tastes like the amazing Lebanese tabouli you get in restaurants and finally found it! I’d give six stars if I could ❤❤
Lama says
Thank you so much for your feedback! 🙂