Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad
is a popular parsley salad made with Italian parsley, tomatoes, onions, bulgar wheat, lemons, and olive oil.
- 3 bunches of Italian parsley (about 6 cups finely chopped)
- 3 bunches of green onions (about 4 cups finely chopped)
- 8 to 10 Roma tomatoes (about 5 cups finely chopped)
- ¾ cup dried fine bulgar wheat #1
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp water for the bulgar wheat
- 3 to 4 lemons (about ½ cup of lemon juice, see note 4)
- salt to taste
- 1 bunch fresh mint (about 1 cup chopped)
- Measure 3/4 cup of fine bulgar wheat into a bowl. Sprinkle 3 tbsp of water on top of the bulgar wheat. Mix with a spoon to evenly coat the bulgar wheat and set aside.
- Don't wash the parsley bunch until it's been chopped. Cut the stems off. Finely chop the parsley. Add the parsley to a fine mesh strainer. Once all of the parsley is chopped, place the fine mesh strainer in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with water to wash the chopped parsley. Drain and repeat until the water runs clear. Keep the parsley in the mesh strainer until the water has drained. Move the parsley to a large bowl once it's finished draining.
- If using fresh mint, wash the mint and remove the leaves. Finely chop the mint leaves. Add to the chopped parsley.
- Wash the green onions. Finely chop the green onions. Add the chopped green onions to the chopped parsley.
- Finely dice the tomatoes. Cut the tomato in half. Then slice 1/4" layers parallel to the cutting board. Slice the tomato in 1/4" strips, then turn the tomato to dice into 1/4" cubes. Add the tomatoes to the chopped parsley and green onions.
- Add the softened bulgar wheat to the chopped vegetables.
- Squeeze the lemons. Measure out the lemon juice (should be about 1/2 cup of lemon juice). Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Mix the tabouli well. Adjust the salt and lemon for a balanced salad.
“layers parallel to the cutting board. Slice the tomato in 1/4”
This authentic Lebanese tabouli method is my family's method. Sprinkle 3 tbsp of water on top of the bulgar wheat. Mix with a spoon to evenly coat the bulgar wheat and set aside.
Don't wash the parsley bunch until it's been chopped. Once all of the parsley is chopped, place the fine mesh strainer in a large bowl.
Fill the bowl with water to wash the chopped parsley. Keep the parsley in the mesh strainer until the water has drained. Move the parsley to a large bowl once it's finished draining.
If using fresh mint, wash the mint and remove the leaves. Add the chopped green onions to the chopped parsley. Then slice 1/4" layers parallel to the cutting board.
Slice the tomato in 1/4" strips, then turn the tomato to dice into 1/4" cubes. Add the tomatoes to the chopped parsley and green onions.
Add the softened bulgar wheat to the chopped vegetables. Measure out the lemon juice (should be about 1/2 cup of lemon juice). Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste.
Adjust the salt and lemon for a balanced salad.