Middle Eastern recipe

Lebanese Tabbouleh

Name: Lebanese Tabbouleh
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Middle Eastern cuisine
Ingredients: 45 g fine bulgur; 90 ml fresh lemon juice, divided; 120 g flat-leaf parsley leaves, very finely chopped; 20 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; 300 g ripe firm tomatoes, seeded and diced small; 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced; 2 green onions, thinly sliced; 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil; 6 g fine salt and black pepper, to taste

A parsley-forward Levantine salad with just enough fine bulgur to catch lemon juice, plus ripe tomatoes, mint and olive oil.

Levant, especially Lebanon

Prep: 35 min
Cook: 0 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 6

Parsley-forward Lebanese tabbouleh salad with fine bulgur and ripe tomato — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by ArtusernameSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

45 g
fine bulgur
90 ml
fresh lemon juice, divided
120 g
flat-leaf parsley leaves, very finely chopped
20 g
fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
300 g
ripe firm tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1
small cucumber, seeded and diced
2
green onions, thinly sliced
75 ml
extra-virgin olive oil
6 g
fine salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

01
Soak the bulgur lightly
Place the fine bulgur in a small bowl and pour over half the lemon juice. Let it stand until the grains are tender but still separate.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Chop the parsley finely
Wash and dry the parsley thoroughly. Remove tough stems and chop the leaves very finely with a sharp knife; do not purée them in a processor.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Prepare the vegetables
Seed the tomatoes and cucumber so the salad stays crisp. Dice the tomato small and chop the cucumber, mint and green onions finely.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Mix the herbs and bulgur
Combine parsley, mint, green onion and the soaked bulgur in a large bowl. Toss gently so the small amount of grain disperses evenly through the herbs.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Dress and serve
Fold in the tomato and cucumber. Whisk the remaining lemon juice with olive oil, salt and pepper, pour over the salad, toss and serve promptly.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Dry the herbs thoroughly after washing so the lemon dressing clings instead of pooling.
Add toasted pita or bulgur near serving time to preserve its texture.

Common mistakes

Using too much bulgur overwhelms tabbouleh; the herbs should remain the visual and textural focus.
Dressing the salad far ahead wilts herbs and softens crisp pita.

Substitutions

Flat-leaf parsley is traditional for tabbouleh; if using curly parsley, chop it especially finely.
If sumac is unavailable in fattoush, use extra lemon zest and juice for tartness, noting the flavor will differ.

Storage

Tabbouleh is best shortly after dressing. Keep leftovers covered at 0–4°C and use within 2 days; add fresh lemon before serving again.

Cultural context

Tabbouleh is a Levantine parsley salad, especially associated with Lebanon. Family ratios differ, but a parsley-forward bowl with only a little bulgur is a well-known Lebanese style.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Traditional Tabbouleh.JPG — Photograph by Artusername; CC BY-SA 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Middle Eastern recipes

Lebanese Tabbouleh

Ingredients

Method

Soak the bulgur lightly

Chop the parsley finely

Prepare the vegetables

Mix the herbs and bulgur

Dress and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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