
Tabbouleh is a Lebanese parsley and bulgur salad that's traditionally served as part of a mezze, offering a bright counterpoint to rich, creamy dips and braised dishes. During my time cooking in the Middle East, I had the privilege of learning this dish from the Lebanese and Syrian chefs I worked with, who emphasized that authentic tabbouleh is a parsley salad, lightly flecked with fine bulgur, not the other way around. Ripe tomatoes add bursts of juicy sweetness, while a lemony olive oil dressing soaks into the grains for a bright, balanced finish. Although cucumber isn't a traditional ingredient, I like to add a small amount for its refreshing crunch. Over the years, I've made this Tabbouleh recipe my own, and these small techniques make this version shine.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Bulgur soaked in dressing: Unlike cracked wheat, bulgar has been cooked before drying, so there's no need to boil it. I like to rehydrate the bulgur directly in the dressing, which infuses the cracked grain with a citrusy flavor while retaining a nice, firm texture.
- Mostly parsley: Think of tabbouleh as a parsley salad with some bulgar added for texture.
- Balance of textures: I like complementing my tabbouleh salad with juicy tomatoes, crisp red onions, and crunchy cucumbers for a contrast of texture and colors.
Tabbouleh Pronunciation
In Levantine Arabic, تبّولة (/tɐˈbbuːle/ ) is pronounced ta-bboo-leh. Start with a light "t," then hold the double "b" for an extra beat to stress the geminated consonant. Let the middle vowel stretch into a long "oo," like in "food," and end with a soft, relaxed "leh," where the final "e" is quick, like the "e" in "let."
Ingredients
- Bulgur Wheat — Bulgur is wheat that's been cooked and dried before being cracked into small pieces. Use fine or medium grind for the best texture; it should soften without heat, but you may need to adjust the soaking time depending on the coarseness of your bulgur. Cooked quinoa, cracked wheat, and cous cous are all common substitutes that will work.
- Parsley — Flat-leaf parsley works best, but if you can't find it, curly parsley will work as well. Some people also like to add fresh mint leaves.
- Lebanese Cucumbers — While it's not a traditional ingredient in Lebanese tabbouleh, I like adding cucumbers for their crisp, cool crunch.
- Tomatoes — Choose ripe, flavorful ones; they bring juiciness and sweetness to the mix. If tomatoes aren't in season, use cherry tomatoes.
- Red onion — Adds color, crispness, and a sweet pungent taste. If your onions are too sharp, you can tame them by soaking them in water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes.
- Lemon — I use both lemon juice and zest for both the bright acidity and citrusy aroma. The acid not only adds zing to the dressing but also softens the bulgur as it marinates.
- Olive Oil — Acts as the fat to balance the acidity of the lemon while giving the dressing body so it can coat all of the ingredients and keep the salad from getting watery.
- Salt and Black Pepper — I prefer to keep the seasonings simple for this parsley salad.
How to Make Tabbouleh
To make the dressing for this parsley and bulgar salad, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the cracked bulgur directly into this dressing and let it soak for 1–2 hours (it may take longer if your bulgur is cracked into larger pieces). This technique skips cooking and allows the bulgur to slowly hydrate while soaking up all that bright, tangy flavor.
While the bulgur soaks, prepare the other ingredients. If your red onion tastes particularly strong, dice it and soak it in cold water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes. This simple step neutralizes the volatile sulfur compounds that can make raw onion harsh.
Next, wash and dry your parsley thoroughly—it's essential that it's bone-dry, or you'll end up with a watery salad. Roll the leaves tightly like a cigar and slice them thin, then chop crosswise so the pieces are fine but not mush. This helps the parsley mix evenly and feel tender in each bite.
Once the bulgur is ready, toss it with the chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and onion. Let the tabbouleh sit for 15–30 minutes for the flavors to meld, or refrigerate it overnight to allow the flavors to fully develop.

Serve This With
Round out a mezze platter by pairing this parsley and bulgur salad with a few more bold, vibrant sides. Labneh, a creamy yogurt cheese, offers a tangy counterpoint to the salad's herbaceous notes. My Walnut and Pepper Muhammara adds a delightfully sweet and smoky dimension, while Eggplant Mutabbal provides richness, layering silky roasted eggplant with nutty tahini. Loubieh bi Zeit braises green beans slowly in olive oil until tender, mellow, and deeply savory. For a hearty main, Egyptian Molokhia delivers a robustly savory green stew with roasted chicken and rice, which balances perfectly against the salad's brightness. Whatever you do, be sure to prepare plenty of fluffy pita to scoop up all these delightful flavors.
📖 Recipe

Equipment
Units
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (coarsely ground)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cracked bulgur
- ½ red onion (finely diced)
- 140 grams flat-leaf parsley
- 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers (~2 cucumbers, cubed)
- 225 grams tomatoes (~2 tomatoes, cubed)
Instructions
- Whisk 1 teaspoon lemon zest, ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl, then add ¼ cup cracked bulgur. Let this soak for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the coarseness of your bulgur and how soft you want it.
- If the raw onion is too strong for your tastes, chop and soak ½ red onion in cold water with a pinch of baking soda for 30 minutes. Drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels before using them in the salad.
- Wash 140 grams flat-leaf parsley, then use a salad spinner or paper towels to thoroughly dry it. Remove all the stems, then grab a handful and roll it up and slice the roll as thinly as possible. Chop the parsley in the opposite direction to the direction you sliced and you should get it pretty evenly chopped.
- Add the parsley to a large bowl along with 140 grams Lebanese cucumbers, 225 grams tomatoes, and the onions. Add the soaked bulgur along with the dressing and toss everything together. Tabouleh tastes fresh the day it's made, but if you let it sit overnight, the flavors have a chance to meld, and it tastes even better.
Chieko says
A very long time ago when it was difficult to find bulgur wheat, my friend's Lebanese mother showed me how to hydrate it with cold water rather than hot and to not use wheat germ which was a popular substitute back then for tabouli. So I just put some in a jar and it started absorbing the water right away. This is a somewhat coarse bulgur. It's swelling as I watch it. I'm actually experimenting and it's rather fascinating to watch it. Since I started typing, it's absorbed 2 x as much liquid. Btw, Mrs Nelson always used a lot of tomatoes in her tabouli.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for sharing, that sounds like fun!
Chieko says
Hi, Marc. Normally I comment on Japanese food but I just had to share with you. The bulgur kept absorbing water until it had expanded 4x. It was in a tightly lidded jar and it was to the top so it couldn't grow any further. There was no excess liquid to drain out. I took some and added some chocolate protein shake to it for breakfast and it absorbed that too and the flavor. It took about 6 hours for the initial process. I've frozen the rest. I started with about 1/2 cup dry and ended up with c. 2.5 cups hydrated. I wish knew about this in college. It would have been way better than ramen.
Chieko says
Btw, try making this with cilantro. So you don't upset the "purists", just call it a cilantro and bulgur salad. Add some serrano peppers and have fun with it. 🙂
Emily says
We absolutely love this recipe, and any time I bring it to a pitch-in or for guests, they love the fresh flavours. I use at least half as much salt or even a quarter as much. I soak the cracked bulgar for 2 hours in the lemon/oil dressing, and it's soft. If I don't have Lebanese cucumbers, I use regular ones but slice out the seeds. I've also made it without cucumbers. The other day, I didn't have a lemon, so used a lime, and it still tasted good.
Kaitlin says
dumb question but we drain bulgar and onion before adding them right?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kaitlin, it's not a dumb question at all. The bulgur is soaked in the dressing, so there's no need to drain it. As for the onion, if you soak it in water, you'll want to drain it well so your salad doesn't get watery.
Sherry says
Made this tonight and oh so yummy! Soaking grain in the sauce makes a big difference. I did soak for about 4 hours and bulgur was still quite firm but so tasty. Served the following day, very good. The bulgur I could find in Canada didn't say cracked, so maybe that makes a difference. I have made this salad a few times in the past and this is by far the BEST! Might make a difference the type of bulgur so keep that in mind. Thanks for sharing, great recipe!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sherry, I'm happy to hear your enjoyed it! If it was cracked the bulgur would be about the size of uncooked couscous. If it was whole it will look more like rice and would definitely take longer to soak. I'm glad you found a soaking time that worked. Thank you for taking the time to let us know how it went!
Patricia says
Can line nuts be substituted for cucumbers?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Patricia, I'm not sure what a line nut is, but you don't have to add cucumbers to this if you don't want to. Traditional tabbouleh typically does not include it.
Alisa Troyan says
The bulgur did not become soft in 2 hours :'-(
Zahra says
This it NOT Mediterranean !!!!!!
It's Arabic/ Middle eastern salad. Get the facts right please. (You don't add cucumber in a tabouleh)
Arabian girl says
Nice but you don't add cucumber in tabouleh ... And you add chopped mint normally
Adrian232 says
Why did you have to mention parsley as "loaded with anti-oxidants and is even purported to slow the growth of tumors"? I was all about this recipe until then. You don't need to spread junk science just to convince me to use parsley. I'm not eating it to cure my damned cancer, nor would I go to a salad for that purpose. That's what actual medicine is for.
Karina Dendani says
I just made this recipe. I loved it! It tasted very lemon which I loved. I bought the wheat bulgur at an arabic store. It softened in an hour. Thank you so much for posting it. Indeed was a lot better to soak the bulgur on the dressing than boil it. I have made it both ways and this by far was delicious!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Cheryl, sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. There have been a couple people who have had this problem, and I'm not really sure what's going on. It's most likely that we're using different types of bulgur. As for your leftovers, if you still have them around try them now. The extra time should have made the bulgur softer.
Cheryl Malik says
Ok, so disrespectful snapping about "real tabbouleh" and "culture" aside, I have to say I liked the flavor (and also added some totally blasphemous cucumbers and onions to bulk it up) but my cracked bulgur did not soften at ALL and made the tabbouleh basically inedible. Luckily there was very little bulgur in the recipe so I could eat my portion but did not want to save the leftovers. Next time I'll steep the bulgur like I've always done in the past
Susan Thompson says
While this more or less follows traditional tabbouleh recipes, and is not bad, there is in fact no place for cucumbers in real Lebanese taboouleh. Their flavor is far too strong and overpowering, and is too much its own flavor and does not harmonize with the other ingredients. Leave it out.
Jessica Hudson says
I absolutely love tabouleh with cucumber! It is really good in a grilled chicken wrap with ranch dressing! I ate it all the time while I was pregnant, but can't find it anywhere, so I'll be making this very soon! Btw,very classy with your comments to the ignorance in this world!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Don, my fault for not being more specific but did you by any chance use whole bulgur? Bulgur for Tabouleh needs to be "cracked" (it's crushed into very small pieces) otherwise it will not soften.
Don says
It has been two hours and the Bulgur is still like pebbles.
Rita says
Fresh Thyme or Oregano (the one with tinny leaves) goes great with tabbouleh, totally becomes something else 😉
Juani says
Marc,
First, I think your response(s) to Nina were brilliant.
Second, this recipe is so wonderful! I made it exactly to your measurements, and it was the best TABOULEH I have ever had. The flavors were fresh and vibrant. I was planning on saving some for tomorrow, but it was so good, that I ate the whole batch today. Thank you so much for providing this healthy and flavorful recipe. I have already passed it on to several people, and it certainly will be in my weekly rotation of favorite, healthy meals.
Kind regards
Juani
Spice Girl says
I was inspired by this recipe and just made Tabouleh today for dinner. I added carrot, but all ingredients are very finely chopped. It tastes yummy too. I love the idea of making up my own recipe from the original. Thanks for this easy and yummy recipe 🙂
chez us says
I love this recipe, and I always add cucumber as well as I feel it gives the recipe a bit of "freshness"
Yvonne says
I think your recipe is wonderful and looks gorgeous- I would definitely love to try it and think it's wonderful that you've got your own take on 'traditional' dishes, which just about every family does in every part of the world.
Nelson Castellanos says
I love your ideas you like mine, I love this world!! Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nelson, glad to hear you enjoyed it! Love the idea of having it for breakfast with poached eggs!
Nelson Castellanos says
I made it today and it was excellent. Also, I just added yellow pepper and garlic to see what would happen and it didn't do much difference but it brought up some different spice in it, a good kick. Next time, I will add a chili just to strength it. This recipe is Brilliant I can eat it every day and in the morning with poach eggs would be just fab!!! Thx
Karen Vaughn-Davis says
I have always had Mint in my tabouleh, I am going to add brown rice, quinoa, and chia seeds for my grains and wheat grass and mint for my herbs, as I am always looking for Wheat substitutes and trying to come up with some thing I can use quinoa in.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you're enjoying the site:-) I add mint sometimes too. Thanks for sharing the spices you add!
rafaela says
I love taboule, and you are so right about the bulgur! also, here in Spain they always use Cous cous instead of bulgur, also the proportion is never good, being the vegetables a 20% of the ingredientes.
In myy taboule I also add some fresh cilantro, and a bit of mint. Also a mix or spices (cardamom, cumin, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg,etc)
I just found your web site, and I already love it! thank you for your work!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Rose! There seems to be a debate over whether eating quinoa raw is a good idea or not. Have a look on Google and decide for yourself whether it's the right choice for you.
rose says
LOVE this recipe!!!
Thanks for sharing.
I would like to try this with quinoa and I was wondering if I can follow the same method or would you recommend I cook the quinoa?
Lizper says
Just made it and added some red raddish. It's more than perfect! Kudos to you chef! 🙂
Kendra says
I've made this twice so far & it's a favorite for bbq's & picnic! Yummy!
Kendra says
I've made this twice so far & it's a favorite for bbq's & picnic! Yummy!
Ted says
It is particularly delicious to use quinoa instead of bulgar.
Elvis says
THE King of salads in my proud opinion. PS It must be flat leaf parsley
Pauline says
I used couscous and it worked out great!
Marilia says
Use Quinoa instead of bulgar wheat and cilantro instead of parsley. Lots of lemon juice too!!!!
Kathleen says
Do you cook the quinoa first and then cool and use in the recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kathleen, if you're going to use quinoa for this, you'll want to cook it first.
sandra says
that looks good
mother says
very yum! worked well 🙂 everyone loves it
jennifer says
can i use couscous instead of bulgur?
Race says
LOL
Use anything you want.
jgg says
the recipie which we eat a lot in the middle east, is very good, though I add finely chopped nana (certain mint leaves) which add perfect flavour. I also use green onions instead of soaking red onions and remove the sour seeds of the tomatoes in advance. I realy like a lot of your recipies and the decorated food is photographed aestheticly
jgg says
the recipie which we eat a lot in the middle east, is very good, though I add finely chopped nana (certain mint leaves) which add perfect flavour. I also use green onions instead of soaking red onions and remove the sour seeds of the tomatoes in advance. I realy like a lot of your recipies and the decorated food is photographed aestheticly
Magda Schmidt says
Tried it the other day but without the cucumber because didn't have one. Still, turned out DELICIOUS!
Magda Schmidt says
Tried it the other day but without the cucumber because didn't have one. Still, turned out DELICIOUS!
Andrea says
Thank you for posting this!! I once tried this salad at wholefoods and I have a ton of extra fresh parley right now but I could not, for the love of me remember what it was called! This is it! I am going to make it right now! Thank you!! Beautiful pictures by the way!!
Tam says
Thanks for the recipe- irresistible salad! Only thing was my bulgur wheat seemed to need overnight soaking in the dressing to fully plumb up. Other than that- it was so simple and delicious!
Tam says
Thanks for the recipe- irresistible salad! Only thing was my bulgur wheat seemed to need overnight soaking in the dressing to fully plumb up. Other than that- it was so simple and delicious!
Marilia says
Its is so good, green and tasty. Love to taste it now.
Viviane Bauquet Farre says
Absolutely stunning. The vibrancy and freshness of the ingredients really 'pops' in your food photography and presentation. The fresh herbs are what make tabouleh so irresistible...
Viviane Bauquet Farre says
Absolutely stunning. The vibrancy and freshness of the ingredients really 'pops' in your food photography and presentation. The fresh herbs are what make tabouleh so irresistible...
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, it's not traditional, but I like the added texture the cucumber adds.
OG says
Bulgur salad is also really nice with a little pomegranate syrup.
syuval says
My version has parsley, coriander, mint leaves (just a little bit) and scallions (all chopped). Also, I chop the cucumber and tomato into very small cubes - the more it resembles the wheat's size, the better...
OG says
Bulgur salad is also really nice with a little pomegranate syrup.
DenaTBray says
This looks fresh and delicious. It exudes spring time! My family will be eating your Tabouleh this week.
Faye Levy says
In our area (southern California) the Lebanese cucumbers are called Persian cucumbers. They are so delicious!
Zdenek Farana says
I'm surprised by the use of cucumber. I can't recall that I've ever tasted tabbouleh with cucumber.
Marc Matsumoto says
Tabouleh is great with mint, but I didn't have any on hand the the day I made this.
Faye Levy says
In our area (southern California) the Lebanese cucumbers are called Persian cucumbers. They are so delicious!
Catslave says
Looks wonderful. No mint?
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Looks like the perfect recipe to try next time the sun is shining!
Catslave says
Looks wonderful. No mint?
lo says
Finally! A tabouleh recipe that gives parsley its due! So many rely too heavily on the bulgar aspect. Been craving green myself, so this may just end up on our table sometime soon.
Marilia says
I've never made tablouleh, and so appreciate all of your great tips. The colors are so rich and beautiful. Once our tomatoes are fruit-bearing, I really want to make this. It's a nice switch for a meatless light meal. I can do this!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
Looks like the perfect recipe to try next time the sun is shining!