How to Make Tabouli

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: November 11, 2022 References Approved

Tabouli is a popular Middle Eastern dish. Its main ingredients are parsley and bulgur (a boiled and dried form of wheat). Tabouli can be served with hummus, on pita sandwiches, or as a dip. Tabouli can be easily be made at home in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1/4 cup bulgur wheat
4 cups parsley (about 3 - 4 bunches parsley), finely chopped
1/2 cup mint, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely sliced (these are also known as scallions in North American cuisine)
3/4 - 1 cup strained lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Garlic, crushed (optional)
4 tomatoes, firm and ripe, diced
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Ingredients

1
Wash the parsley. Run the parsley and under running water to remove any dirt or pesticides. Lightly shake the parsley to remove excess water. Set the parsley aside.
2
Soak the bulgur in water for approximately 20 minutes. Add the bulgur and one cup of boiling water to a small mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let the bulgur soak until it is tender. This should take about 20 minutes.^{[1]
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3
Chop the vegetables. While your bulgur is soaking, prepare the vegetables by washing and chopping them. Finely chop the parsley, mint, and spring onions. Dice the tomatoes. Set these ingredients aside.
- Other vegetables, such as broccoli or cucumbers can be used as a substitute or addition to the common tabouli vegetables. Add one cup of additional vegetables to modify the traditional tabouli recipe.^{[2]
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4
Drain the water from the bulgur. Using a strainer, drain the water from the bulgur. Press firmly on the bulgur with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
- Cooked quinoa can be substituted for bulgur to make the dish gluten-free.^{[3]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Mixing the Ingredients

1
Add in the greens. Combine the bulgur, parsley, mint, and spring onion in a large mixing bowl.^{[4]
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2
Squeeze and strain lemon juice. Squeeze and strain about ¾ cup of lemon juice. Add the lemon juice to the tabouli mixture. Taste test the tabouli to ensure that you are not adding too much lemon juice. Adjust the amount of lemon juice to your taste.^{[5]
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3
Add olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste. You will need approximately ½ cup olive oil, one teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of black pepper. Taste the tabouli as you add each ingredient.^{[6]
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4
Add crushed garlic to taste. Using a garlic press, add a few cloves of fresh garlic to the tabouli. Continue tasting the tabouli while adding garlic.
5
Add diced tomatoes. Mix in the four diced tomatoes that were chopped and set aside. Mix the tomatoes in with care to prevent them from being mashed.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving Tabouli

1
Refrigerate the tabouli. Tabouli tastes best if refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover the mixing bowl and place it in the refrigerator.^{[7]
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2
Serve the tabouli. Transfer the chilled tabouli to a serving bowl or platter. Tabouli pairs nicely with pita, hummus, or romaine lettuce leaves.
3
Store the tabouli. Put the tabouli in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.

Community Q&A

Question

How many people does this recipe serve?

Community Answer

This recipe makes about 7 servings, so it will serve about 7 people if they don't want seconds!