I love the flavor of herbs and spices in everything from cocktails and garnishes to dressings and salads. My favorite herbs are those that taste freshly-picked whenever you enjoy them; namely herbs like parsley. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of parsley is tabbouleh, the herb-y bulgur salad that originated from Lebanon and Syria.
This delicious salad has become popular all over the Middle East, with countries often serving it beyond restaurants at various street food vendors. An interesting fact that I came across while perusing the internet was the differences between how Lebanese and Syrians make this salad; the largest difference being the proportion of parsley to bulgur, where generally speaking, the Lebanese use more parsley. This ratio is completely up to your taste buds, and I’d like to think my recipe below contains an equal amount of bulgur to parsley, though if I’m being honest it probably tends more towards the parsley space.
“The salad originated in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria and was an essential part of people’s diets in the Middle Ages. While mocked at first for its lack of meat, people quickly adopted it because of the incredible taste and health benefits.”
– The culture trip
Quick and Easy Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Bulgur Wheat (fine)
- 1 tbsp Garlic (minced, or 1-2 garlic cloves)
- 2 cups Parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 cup Mint (fresh, chopped)
- 2 Lemons (juiced)
- 1/2 cup Persian Cucumber (diced)
- 1/2 cup Mini Heirloom Tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes, diced)
- 2 stalks Green Onion (use both white and green parts, chopped)
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 pinch Salt (amount to preference)
- 1 pinch Black Pepper (amount to preference)
Instructions
- If you have coarse bulgur, place into a bowl and pour 1/2 cup boiling water over dry bulgur and let sit, covered, for 20 minutes or until softened. If you have fine bulgur, use room-temperature water and follow the same steps above.
- While your bulgur is soaking, chop parsley, garlic, mint, cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions.
- Then, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Once bulgur is fluffy and expanded, drain out excess water. Then, add to bowl with olive oil and lemon juice.
- Add in parsley and other veggies to the same bowl and toss gently to combine.
Watch my video on how to make this recipe by clicking here.
