Some friends and I recently went to a Lebanese restaurant in Los Angeles and had a full-on mezze: a table filled with small dishes of some of the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had. Nestled in between the plates of hummus and baba ganoush was a heaping mound of tabouli salad. I helped myself to a liberal portion, but was left wondering how this great food came to be. So, amidst bites, I Googled, while my friends made passive aggressive comments about me using the phone at the dinner table. They didn’t understand: I was on an important fact-finding mission! What is tabouli? You’re about to find out.
What is tabouli?
Tabouli—or tabbouleh—is a salad dish that appears in many cuisines throughout the Levant area of the Middle East: Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, and further afield in countries like Cyprus, Armenia, and Egypt. Lebanon even has a National Tabbouleh Day (it’s the first Saturday in July), which shows just how serious they are about it.
The word tabouli derives from the Arabic word that translates rather literally into “dip.” While you may be more inclined to scoop tabouli rather than dip, the name is appropriate because it is often served along with many other dips and sauces—like tahini—as one of the essential pillars of a mezze.
What is in tabouli?
Tabouli is similar in a lot of ways to its cold, grain-based salad cousins couscous and quinoa. However, the base of tabouli is bulgur instead of semolina or whatever the heck quinoa is (no one knows). (Okay, actually we do know and we wrote a whole article answering the question, what is quinoa.)
Bulgur is a whole grain; it is made from a wheat grain that still has its shell on. The wheat grain is parboiled and, in the process, it cracks. Once it’s dried, it is considered bulgur. This grain has a nutty taste and a harder texture than rice.
Tabouli mixes a wide range of ingredients into the bulgur: parsley, mint, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, salt, lemon juice, and a variety of spices. Each country tends to have their own variation on this theme. For example, the Lebanese use more parsley than bulgur, whereas in Turkey, the opposite is true.
What do you eat with tabouli?
The next time you are at a Middle Eastern restaurant, do yourself this favor. Take a piece of pita bread, slather it with baba ganoush, add a helping of tabouli, some olives or roasted vegetables—basically just add a little bit of everything that’s in the mezze—and take a big bite. The flavor train that you’re getting on will be first class.
Tabouli is also good eating just on its own as a salad, and you can find it pre-made in many grocery stores and Middle Eastern specialty stores.
FAQs
Tabbouleh is basically parsley salad. There's technically no lettuce in it. It's a salad made up of parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, and green onions – all finely chopped and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice!
What is the meaning of tabouli salad? ›
tə-ˈbü-lē : a salad of Lebanese origin consisting chiefly of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Is tabbouleh made of? ›
Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة, romanized: tabbūla), also transcribed tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Levantine salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, soaked uncooked bulgur, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sweet pepper.
Is tabbouleh healthy to eat? ›
Tabbouleh is a healthy, vegetarian food that has no cholesterol, is low in fat, and high in fiber, vitamins, and much more. Plus, it makes great use of the backyard gardener's abundance of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. This vegan dish can be made gluten-free by substituting quinoa for bulgur wheat.
What do you eat tabbouleh with? ›
Tabbouleh alongside grilled anything is such a delicious winner: kebabs, chops, steaks, chicken, even grilled vegetables—the smokey, charred flavor of anything grilled just loves the contrast of tabbouleh, which has all of the refreshing flavors of parsley and mint along with a lemony vinaigrette.
Why is tabbouleh famous? ›
Tabbouleh is not just a dish; it's a culinary journey through history and geography. Originating in the Levant, this simple salad made from bulgur, fresh herbs, tomatoes, and onions, dressed in olive oil and lemon juice, has traversed the world, adapting and evolving while maintaining its core identity.
How long does tabouli last in the fridge? ›
Letting tabouli sit for a day in the refrigerator may even help the flavors mingle. Because of its ingredients, tabouli will last in the refrigerator for up to four days, so make sure you eat it before then.
Is tabouli salad good for diabetics? ›
Bulgur is a healthy whole-grain option for people with diabetes. Bulgur is best known for its starring role in tabbouleh. But this classic Middle Eastern salad is also a healthful and delicious pick for the millions of people who live with diabetes or are at risk for developing the disease.
Is tabouli a protein? ›
The favorite choice for the term "Tabouli" is 1/2 cup of Tabbouleh (Bulgar with Tomatoes and Parsley) which has about 1.3 grams of protein. The amount of protein for a variety of types and serving sizes of Tabouli is shown below.
Can you eat tabouli by itself? ›
This tabouli recipe is delicious by itself, but even more amazing with fresh pita bread to scoop it up. I also love putting it in a falafel pita with hummus too. What makes this meze so easy to make is that you don't actually need to cook anything.
The name tabbouleh comes from the Arabic word 'taabil' which means to season or spice and tabbouleh is thought to have first been eaten in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria more than 4000 years ago.
Is tabbouleh good for your skin? ›
It's great for your digestive health and skin. Some versions of tabbouleh tend to be heavier on the bulgar wheat, whereas traditionally the parsley is the main feature.
Is Tabouli good for kidneys? ›
Tabbouleh Salad is a popular Middle Eastern dish that combines bulgur, spring onions, fresh parsley, mint, olive oil, and lemon juice. This kidney-friendly combination keeps well in the refrigerator, so make a batch to serve throughout the week.
Is Tabouli good for stomach? ›
Contains compounds called glucosinolates, which protect the stomach lining and support a healthy digestive process. Like all cruciferous vegetables, it's also high in fibre.
Is Tabouli good for high blood pressure? ›
Tabbouleh is an incredibly healthy and tasty dish to eat, especially when you add in the tanginess of goat cheese. When you're trying to tackle high blood pressure, there are few better or tastier ways of doing so.
Does tabbouleh contain cucumber? ›
Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is a super fresh herb and bulgur salad, with parsley being the number one ingredient. It's dotted with diced cucumber and tomato, and dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice. It's refreshing, light and packed with healthy ingredients.
What is bulgur wheat? ›
Bulgur is an edible cereal grain made from dried, cracked wheat. Durum wheat is used most often, but other hard wheat species, like einkorn, are used as well ( 1 , 2 , 3 ).
What is the difference between Fattoush and tabbouleh? ›
Huge difference! Tabbouleh salad is an herb salad of finely chopped parsley and mint that includes a touch of tomato and bulgur. Tabbouleh salad dressing is a simple, lemony dressing, and also makes a frequent appearance on my plate. Fattoush is a lettuce and vegetable salad, crunchy and full bodied, with pita chips.
