The peppery and earthy flavor of the the finely chopped fresh parsley creates the perfect foundation for this salad. It’s packed with finely diced fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions and the sweet, and cooling flavor of fresh mint leaves. When you toss these veggies with the fine bulgur it gives the salad a light and nutty flavor with a chewy texture. Finally, it all comes together when the salad is dressed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of cinnamon to add just a hint of warmth. Too often we purchase parsley and only use a little of it, and the rest wilts at the bottom of our produce drawer. Put your parsley to use with tabbouleh salad because you need a lot of it! I love that this salad has more herbs than grains and it’s surprisingly simple to bring together. Just a bit of chopping and you’re good to go! Looking to add more light and flavorful salads to your meal plan? Check out my Peach Salad, Vegan Quinoa Power Salad, or Kale Blueberry Salad as well! Also, my 6 Staple Summer Salad Dressings are a great way to mix up your salad game.
Why This Recipe Works
It’s light and fresh! Tabbouleh is a flavorful vegetarian dish It’s surprisingly easy to make Tabbouleh Salad can be served as an appetizer too, with pita Bread or romaine leaves. The presentation is so colorful that it stands out on every table.
Fresh parsley: The clean and peppery taste of fresh parsley has an earthy flavor that works so well with bulgur. You can use flat-leaf or curly parsley, up to you! You’ll need a lot of parsley, grab 2 bunches at the store! Parsley is king in this recipe! Fine bulgur: Fine bulgur (#1) is the best choice for this salad. But I know it can be hard to find. Use whatever your store has and soak or cook according to the package directions. Fresh mint: Fresh mint is such a versatile herb. It is fragrant and comforting and adds the perfect cooling touch to this salad. Some people like to omit it, but I think it adds such great flavor to the salad. Roma tomatoes: Adds a pop of color to the salad. Be sure to pick a ripe tomato for maximum flavor. Cucumber: The refreshing sweetness and crispness of cucumbers adds additional texture to this. Tabbouleh Salad. To make it entirely traditional Lebanese, omit the cucumber. Green onions (use both whites and green parts): By using both the white and green parts of the onion you add additional flavors to your salad. The green part is more mild and works an a colorful garish to the salad. The white part has more of an onion-y flavor and is sharper tasting. Lemon juice: Always use fresh lemon juice. The moderate lemony flavor has a nice zing that pairs well with olive oil. Olive oil: I recommend extra virgin olive oil for the dressing. Since it is the least processed of all olive oils it retains its’ natural antioxidants and vitamins making it a more healthful olive oil. Because of it’s heabal and peppery flavor it is a great partner for the zesty lemon juice. Kosher salt: Kosher salt is so different from other types of salt because it is made of only sodium chloride and it isn’t iodized.The flavor is clean and fresh unlike iodized salt which can have a bitter after taste Allspice or cinnamon: the warmth from either one of these spices, even though the portion is just a pinch, is a nice underlying flavor. Serve with: lemon slices, pita bread, hummus, romaine leaves, falafel, grilled fish, etc.
