Tabouli Recipe

Soak bulgur

Place 3/4 cup fine bulgur in a small bowl. Pour 3/4 cup cold water over it, stir, and cover. Let sit 10–15 minutes until the grains are tender but not mushy and have absorbed most of the water. If any liquid remains, drain off and gently squeeze the bulgur in a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove excess moisture.

Fluff bulgur with a fork and set aside to cool while preparing the vegetables and herbs.

Trim and chop parsley

Wash parsley thoroughly and pat dry or spin in a salad spinner. Remove and discard thick stems. Finely chop the leaves and tender stems until you have about 4 packed cups. The parsley should be chopped small so it blends with the bulgur.

Chop mint

Wash and dry the mint leaves. Strip leaves from stems and chop finely to yield about 1 packed cup.

Dice tomatoes and cucumber

Core and seed the tomatoes (to avoid excess juice) and finely dice so pieces are small and bite-sized. Peel, halve lengthwise and scoop seeds from the cucumber, then finely dice. Combine tomatoes and cucumber in a bowl.

Dice bell pepper and slice green onions

Remove seeds and membranes from the bell pepper and finely dice. Thinly slice the white and light-green parts of the green onions. Add both to the tomatoes and cucumber.

Taste a small piece of each vegetable and adjust dice size if needed — all pieces should be similar in size for even texture.

Whisk dressing

In a small bowl or jar, combine 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or cumin if using. Whisk or shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust salt or lemon as desired.

Combine salad components

In a large bowl, add the chopped parsley and mint, the drained/fluffed bulgur, and the mixed diced vegetables and green onions. Pour the dressing over the mixture.

Toss gently but thoroughly so the dressing coats the herbs and vegetables and the bulgur is evenly distributed. Use tongs or two large spoons and fold rather than smash the ingredients.

Rest and adjust seasoning

Let the tabouli rest at room temperature for at least 15–20 minutes to allow flavors to marry and the bulgur to absorb dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate. Bring to near room temperature before serving for best flavor (chilled tabouli dulls the herbs slightly).