Tabbouleh Salad
This classic Tabbouleh Salad is so refreshing and a great way to use up garden fresh mint and parsley!
The other day I was watching Family Feud while cooking, because apparently that’s what you do when you’re home at 3 in the afternoon. Or maybe it’s not and I just have no idea what normal people do when they’re at home in the middle of the afternoon. I’m new to this stuff.
But I digress.
It got to the fast money part at the end where people have to say the first thing that pops into their head for a given question. Some people are just not made for this kind of pressure. The poor fellow on this particular episode was one of these people. To categorize his responses as “a complete and total brain implosion” might actually be an understatement. But I’ll let you decide for yourself.
The first question was, “At what age do most women consider wearing a bikini no longer an option?” Without hesitation the man blurted out “17!”
Seventeen??? Yep, women are basically falling apart by that age. Put that perky, fit, young body away! Nobody wants to see that!
Somehow the guy managed to recover and shmucked his way through the next few questions with decent answers, but it all unraveled with the last question: “What is a topping you would put on a salad?”
The (clearly flustered by this point) man thought for a second and then shouted “Whipped Cream!!”
Guys, I lost it. All by myself in the kitchen I was snort laughing like a crazy person. It wasn’t just that the answer was completely and utterly ridiculous. It was that I knew I would be just as bad if I were on the gameshow. I am TERRIBLE in high pressure situations. They would say, “Name something you ride” and I’d be all “KOALAS!!” People totally ride koalas right??
And this is why I will never, ever be on a game show. I don’t need to be immortalized forever in some embarrassing YouTube video that goes viral. No thank you.
All that to say, this Tabbouleh Salad requires no whipped cream to be absolutely delicious. In fact, I actually advise against the whipped cream. Tabbouleh is a classic Mediterranean salad made with chopped fresh parsley, mint, lemon, and bulgur. It’s super refreshing and great as a side dish alongside hummus and pita or vegetables for dipping.
There’s no big trick to making great Tabbouleh. This is a fairly standard recipe. My only advice is to use the freshest herbs you can find and to make sure you dry them before chopping them. Otherwise they’ll just be in a giant clump.
I’ve been keeping this stuff around all summer for healthy snacking purposes. I recommend making a big batch to munch on all week. Plus, I’ll have a recipe for you on Sunday that’s begging for a side of Tabbouleh. Stay tuned to see what it is (but hold the whipped cream)!
Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup bulgur (substitute quinoa for a gluten free version)
- About 3 fat pinches Kosher salt (or to taste)
- Juice of 1 lemon, divided
- 1 1/2 cups chopped parsley
- 1 cup chopped mint
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cook the bulgur according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool. Place the bulgur in a large bowl and squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over it. Season to taste with salt.
- Add the parsley, mint, tomatoes, and onions to the bulgur and stir. Taste. Squeeze the juice of the remaining half of lemon over the salad (to taste) and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Drizzle with olive oil and stir.
- Serve at room temperature or store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn
Just discovered your blog and love it! I found this recipe classified under gluten-free. Unfortunately, bulgur is a wheat product. Perhaps suggesting a gluten-free substitute like quinoa would be useful. Take care. 🙂
Thank you so much for letting me know Shireen. That was a complete oversight on my part. I’ve changed it as you suggested!
I adore Tabbouleh…so refreshing for summer!
Agreed! I’ve been eating it for lunch every day!
I totally remember that episode (how bad is that). Oh man I can’t wait until the day arrives that I can watch games shows in the afternoon. Of course that means finding them on hulu. I love tabbouleh and i haven’t made any yet this summer. Off the to the farmers market tomorrow in search of tomatoes and this will happen.
The fact that you remember that makes me ridiculously happy. You’ll be watching gameshows in the middle of the afternoon in no time!
Bwahahahahahaha! I love laughing at other people’s misfortunes (and then want to die when others laugh at mine). That poor shmuck. I have two giant bags of mint and parsley at home right now. I just need some bulgur so that I can make this rocking salad!
I know. I felt so bad for him, but still couldn’t resist a good snort laugh at his expense.
Ha! I mean, I really enjoy whipped cream but….it would be awful on salad. And this tabbouleh has so many fresh happy favorite flavors of mine, that I dare say I wouldn’t even MISS the whipped cream. 😛
I bet you won’t miss it at all! Though I wouldn’t fault you for making some for dessert.