Tabbouleh · Classic

Classic Parsley Tabbouleh

Mostly parsley, with a little bulgur, ripe tomatoes, cucumber and mint, dressed with plenty of lemon and olive oil. Fresh and herby next to grilled meats, falafel or hummus.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
25 min
Cook
0 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy

Ingredients

  • ½ cup bulgur, fine grind
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons
    Swaps for lemon juice

    Instead of lemon juice

    • Lime juice: The same amount. A different, more floral aroma; works almost everywhere.
    • Bottled lemon juice: The same amount. More sour and flatter; fine in cooking and baking, less bright in dressings and drinks.
    • White wine vinegar or white vinegar: Half as much. Sharper, with no citrus aroma.

    More for lemon juice

  • ¼ cup olive oil
    Swaps for olive oil

    Instead of olive oil

    • Avocado oil or another neutral oil: The same amount. No olive flavor; avocado oil handles higher heat.
    • Butter: The same amount. Richer and nutty when browned.
    • A neutral oil + more seasoning: The same amount. Dressings lose the fruity, peppery note; a little extra lemon, garlic or mustard makes up for it.

    More for olive oil

  • 1 tsp kosher salt
    Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 3 bunches fresh parsley, flat-leaf, leaves finely chopped (about 3 cups)
    Swaps for fresh parsley

    Instead of parsley

    • Dried parsley: 1 tsp dried for each 1 tbsp chopped fresh (a third as much). Very mild; it adds color more than flavor.
    • Cilantro: The same amount. Stronger and citrusy; suits Mexican and Asian dishes.
    • Celery leaves or chervil: The same amount. Celery leaves are peppery and grassy; chervil is mild with a hint of anise.

    More for parsley

  • ½ cup fresh mint, leaves finely chopped
    Swaps for fresh mint

    Instead of mint

    • Dried mint: 1 tsp dried for each 1 tbsp chopped fresh (a third as much). Dried mint works in tea and some Middle Eastern dishes, not in drinks, fruit salads or garnishes.
    • Fresh basil: The same amount. Sweeter and less cooling.

    More for mint

  • 3 medium tomatoes, finely diced
  • 1 medium cucumber, finely diced
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
    Swaps for green onions

    Instead of green onions

    • Chives: The same amount, for the green tops. Milder and more delicate, without crunch.
    • Shallot or red onion: Half as much, chopped fine, for the white parts. Stronger; best cooked or soaked in cold water first.
    • Leeks: The same amount, sliced thin. Milder and better cooked than raw.

    More for green onions

Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Steps

  1. Rinse the bulgur in a fine-mesh strainer, then put it in a large bowl with the lemon juice and let it soak until tender with a little bite.
    ⏱ Soak bulgur: 20 min
  2. While the bulgur soaks, wash the parsley and mint and spin or pat them completely dry, then
    chop (how to chop) Chop Cut food into bite-size pieces that don't have to match exactly. 1. Cut a flat side on round food and lay it on that side so it can't roll.2. Slice the food into strips about as wide as the pieces you want.3. Turn the strips and cut across them.4. Rock the knife over any big pieces until they are about the same size. Done when: The pieces are close enough in size to cook in the same time, about ½ inch unless the recipe says otherwise. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide.How to chop vegetables and herbs: mistakes to avoid
    them finely with a sharp knife.
  3. Stir the olive oil, salt and pepper into the bulgur.
  4. Add the parsley, mint, tomatoes with their juices, cucumber and green onions and toss well.
  5. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt; it should taste bright and tangy.

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

  • Fine bulgur softens in lemon juice alone. Coarse bulgur needs 1/2 cup boiling water and 15 minutes first; drain it well.
  • For a gluten-free version, use 1 cup cooked quinoa in place of the bulgur.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 2 days; the herbs soften as it sits.

Make ahead

Chop the herbs and vegetables up to 1 day ahead and keep them separate, then toss with the soaked bulgur before serving.

Quick answers

Can I make it ahead?

Chop the herbs and vegetables up to 1 day ahead and keep them separate, then toss with the soaked bulgur before serving.

What can I swap?
  • Instead of lemon juice: Lime juice, the same amount.
  • Instead of olive oil: Avocado oil or another neutral oil, the same amount.

For a gluten-free version, use 1 cup cooked quinoa in place of the bulgur.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
160
Protein
4 g
Carbohydrates
17 g
Fiber
4 g
Sugars
3 g
Fat
10 g
Saturated fat
1.5 g
Sodium
320 mg

Whole recipe, 6 servings: about 950 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 10 of 10 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 6 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Estimated cost

About $1.20 a serving

About $7.05 for the recipe as written (6 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 6 of 10 ingredients, 90% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • fresh parsley $2.50 ERS
  • tomatoes $1.60 BLS
  • cucumber $1.30 ERS
  • olive oil $0.75 ERS
  • green onions $0.45 ERS
  • lemon juice $0.45 ERS

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): bulgur, kosher salt, black pepper, fresh mint.

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

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Cleanup score 4/5 (easy cleanup): 2 things to wash, mixing bowl, strainer.

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