Tabouli salad is easy to make and absolutely delicious! From crisp cucumber, sweet tomatoes, briny olives and bright parsley, every bite offers something different. This classic Levantine dish (also spelled tabbouleh, tabouleh and taboulah) is a vegetarian Mediterranean salad loaded with flavor and texture. Traditional tabouli uses bulgur wheat as its base, making it hearty enough to serve as a main dish. I love to add salty, creamy feta to make my version even better.
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Bulgur is a quick-cooking, versatile grain that is very forgiving. You can make it a day ahead, refrigerate it, and when you take it out the next day and fluff it with a fork, it will still be light and delicious. I use it as a base for a variety of salads or make it alone with a swirl of olive oil and a pinch of salt as a simple side dish.
“What a lovely recipe. Just perfect…Thank You for inspiring me to bring Tabouli back into my diet.”
Carol Cuevas
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Tabouli Salad
- Water: Sometimes I use chicken or vegetable broth instead for extra flavor in the bulgur. Either way works well.
- Dry Bulgur: Look for medium-grain bulgur wheat for the best texture in tabouli. Fine bulgur cooks faster but can become mushy.
- Salt: Omit if using broth since it already contains salt.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh is essential here – the bottled stuff doesn’t have the same brightness. Roll your lemon on the counter before juicing to get the most out of it.
- Olive Oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil for this salad since it’s a prominent flavor. I like varieties with a peppery finish.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is a key flavor component. Use just one clove so it doesn’t overpower the herbs. Garlic powder doesn’t work here.
- Green Onions: These add a mild onion flavor that complements the herbs. Fresh chives make a good substitute if you prefer.
- Parsley: Flat leaf (Italian) parsley has more flavor than the curly variety. It should be very fresh and bright green with tender stems.
- Fresh Mint Leaves: This is important to the overall flavor of the salad. Don’t skip it or substitute dried mint. Look for a bunch with bright, unwilted leaves with no dark spots.
- Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes hold their shape nicely in the salad. If using larger varieties like plum or Roma, remove the seeds to keep the salad from getting too watery.
- English Cucumber: I prefer these for their thin skin and fewer seeds. Persian cucumbers are an excellent alternative when you can find them. Regular cucumbers work too, but peel and seed them first.
- Feta Cheese: Traditional tabouli doesn’t include feta, but I love how it adds creaminess and salt. For my taste, sheep’s milk feta has the best flavor and texture.
- Greek Olives: These add briny depth to the salad. Kalamata olives work well too.
3 Recipe Tips
- Proper Bulgur Texture: Don’t overcook the bulgur – it should be tender but still have a slight chew. I find that letting it sit covered after adding boiling water works better than simmering it on the stove.
- Fresh Herbs Matter: For authentic tabouli flavor, use only fresh herbs, never dried. I chop mine by hand rather than using a food processor to avoid bruising or turning them to mush.
- Let Flavors Develop: The salad tastes even better after the bulgur has had time to absorb the lemon juice and olive oil. I like to make the bulgur portion a day ahead when possible.
Recipe Options
- Traditional vs. Hearty: Classic Tabouli is mainly parsley and bulgur with minimal add-ins. My version is more substantial with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and feta. For a more traditional approach, focus on the herbs and reduce or omit these extras.
- Vegan Option: For a vegan version, just skip the feta cheese. You might want to add a bit more salt to compensate for the missing salty cheese flavor.
- Gluten-Free Alternative: Swap the bulgur for quinoa in my Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad recipe. It has the same fresh flavors with a different base.
- Seasonal Changes: When tomatoes aren’t in season, sometimes I substitute diced roasted red peppers for a similar sweet-tangy element.
- Herb Variations: If mint isn’t your favorite, you can increase the parsley and add a smaller amount of fresh dill or basil instead.
How to Store
Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors actually improve after a day as the bulgur absorbs more of the dressing. If you want to prep ahead for several days, I recommend keeping the dressed bulgur separate from the fresh vegetables and herbs, then combining them the day you plan to eat. This keeps the vegetables crisp and the herbs bright. Give the salad a quick stir before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Tabouli salad works great for potlucks and casual dinners because you can leave it out without worrying about it wilting or spoiling quickly. Most people seem to enjoy it, even those who normally avoid parsley or bulgur. I often make a big batch on Sunday and eat it for lunches during the week – I actually think it tastes better the second day after the flavors have time to meld.
Serve With
For a feast, I love to serve this with Grilled Shrimp or Grilled Lamb Chops / Grilled Lamb Loin Chops (or Baked Lamb Chops in the fall and winter) and some of my other favorite Mediterranean recipes like this pita bread recipe served with Baba Ganoush, Tzatziki, and White Bean Hummus!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water or chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry bulgur
- 1 teaspoon salt omit if you are using broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 large English cucumber (or 2 medium Persian cucumbers) cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 ounces crumbled feta
- 1 cup Greek olives or kalamata olives, pitted and halved, (20 to 24)
Instructions
- Bring water to boil, add dry bulgur to boiling water or broth, stir. Turn heat off, leaving the pan in place; cover and let stand 25 minutes.
- Fluff bulgur with a fork and then allow to cool to room temperature.
- Once the bulgur is cool, add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Stir to combine; cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- When you're ready to serve the salad, remove the bulgur mixture from the fridge and toss with a fork to lighten and separate. Add green onions, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, feta, and olives; stir gently to combine. Taste for seasoning – add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I now have two vegetarians in the house, and I think there’s nothing better than a super hearty dish like this to satisfy everyone. I love bulgur, but will use quinoa or rice so my gluten-free eater can also partake. Love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you, Valentina! And I actually have a Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad on the site that would be perfect.
Wow. Well I’ve never added feta and olives to tabouli, but why the hell not?! This looks fabulous!!!
Tabouli is one of my favourite summer salads – so easy to make but packed with some great flavours and textures. And it’s also beautiful and eye-pleasing.
LOVE salads like this one and with chickpeas or chicken it’s a full meal! Beautiful and healthy. Summer approaches and this is a good one to make again and again.
We’re hiking the parks here in Utah and I finally had a chance to catch up on reading my favorite food blogs as everyone went to bed early tonight! This would be great to make for the crowd!
I loved following you and David around Utah in your beautiful pictures! What an amazing place and adventure!! Thanks for your kind words, too Kevin. What a complement that you’d count me among your favorite blogs. I feel the very same about yours.
Utah blew us away, so stunning. It’s all true, you’re one of my favorite peeps!
This salad looks delish! These are basically all of my favorite flavors together in one bowl 🙂
Thank you, Allyson!
Gaaaah this is so gorgeous! Tabouli is such a perfect side dish (slash meal in and of itself), and you’ve reminded me I need to make it more often. This is such a beautiful go-to!
Thank you, Julia! 🙂
This is one of my favorite salads. That’s amazing how just a few simple ingredients like vegetables, herbs, and bulgur can make such a hearthy, earthy, and scrumptious meal. And I do love the addition of feta too – good touch!
So true, Ben! Thank you.
Oh wow, Marissa, this is such a beautiful salad. It’s making my mouth water!
It reminds me of the salads I ate in Israel.
I’d add the feta too of course! Delicious!
Thank you, my friend! 🙂
I just bought a new cookbook called The Gaza Kitchen and there’s all sorts of lovely recipes like this 😀 Your salad looks wonderful Marissa! 😀
I’ll have to check out that cookbook! Thanks, Lorraine.
What a fresh and delicious salad, Marissa! Love the additions in there – so much extra flavour and oomph! I know hubby would devour this one too. I’d make a big batch and eat for lunch throughout the week. And so perfect for those (hopefully soon) summer bbqs. Pinned! Cheers to a great week!
Yes! Looking forward to summer bbqs! Have a wonderful week, Dawn!
I love tabbouleh! I’m having mediterranean tomorrow night, and you have me so excited for it. Delicious 🙂
Thanks, Medha! Can’t go wrong with Mediterranean! 🙂
Hi Marissa. Perfect for the upcoming warm days. What an explosion of flavors. I would be very happy with a plate of this as my dinner.
Hi Dorothy. 🙂 I’d love to make it for you!
I LOVE tabouli salads and yours looks just fabulous, Marissa! SO colorful and delicious!! I love that you really jam packed this one with all they yummies! I mean, if adding cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and cheese is wrong, then I don’t want you to be right! 😉 This is so perfect for spring and summer! You can bet I’ll be adding this to our menu!! Pinned! Cheers, dear!
You always make me smile, Cheyanne! 🙂 Have a wonderful week…
Gorgeous Marissa! This is totally my kind of salad. Love all the ingredients!
Thank you, Mary Ann!
This tabouli salad looks gorgeous, Marissa! I love using bulgur in a salad base…especially summer salads. And as far as I’m concerned, you can just load that bad boy up with feta cheese! Feta is such an underappreciated cheese, and I love adding it to salads and pasta salads. I need this one on my picnic menu soon! 🙂
Thanks, David. I agree about feta! Perfect for so many things… Have a great week!