Tabbouleh (Tabbouli)
- Bulgur standing time: 30 minutes
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For Single recipe
(serves 4 to 6)
Bulgur:
- ½ cup medium bulgur
- 1 cup boiling water
Tomatoes, Parsley, Mint, Scallions and Onion:
- 2 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped
- ½ cup packed fresh mint sprigs, finely chopped
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
Seasonings:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil:
- 2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil
Optional Romaine Lettuce:
- ½ head romaine lettuce, separated into leaves, rinsed, and dried (see comment below)
Ingredients
For Double recipe
(serves 6 to 8)
Bulgur:
- 1 cup medium bulgur
- 2 cups boiling water
Tomatoes, Parsley, Mint, Scallions and Onion:
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 cups fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped
- 1 cup packed fresh mint sprigs, finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
Seasonings:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Optional Romaine Lettuce:
- 1 head romaine lettuce, separated into leaves, rinsed, and dried (see comment below)
Instructions
-
Combine bulgur and boiling water in a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl with an inverted plate and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Drain bulgur in a sieve, pressing with the back of large spoon to remove excess moisture.
- Return drained bulgur to the bowl.
- Add finely chopped tomatoes, parsley, mint, scallions, and onion.
- In a small prep bowl whisk together salt, black pepper, and optional allspice.
- Sprinkle salt mixture over the finely chopped vegetables and herbs; tossing gently to incorporate.
- Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil.
- Add to bulgur mixture and toss to coat.
- Adjust salt to taste.
- Serve on a platter or in a shallow serving bowl with optional romaine lettuce surrounding the salad.
- Serve at room temperature.
Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker. New York: Scribner (1997).
Comments
What is bulgur? Bulgur is a whole grain produced from cracked wheat that has soaked, cooked, dried and then cracked. It is commonly used in cuisines throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East and as far east as India.Tabbouleh can be scooped up and eaten with leaves of romaine lettuce.
When preparing tabbouleh be imaginative with ingredients. There is no right or wrong way to put this salad together and access to fresh garden vegetables and herbs may change your ingredient list. Variations can include chopped cucumbers, chopped red onions, freshly chopped dill and basil and even crumbled feta cheese.
To retain the freshness of the ingredients this dish is best eaten right away. If saving leftovers do so in an airtight container and know that the tomatoes and herbs may get a bit mushy.