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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
- 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
- While the bulgur soaks, wash the parsley and mint and spin or pat them completely dry, thenthem finely with a sharp knife.
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 - Stir the olive oil, salt and pepper into the bulgur.
- Add the parsley, mint, tomatoes with their juices, cucumber and green onions and toss well.
- 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.
How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: tomatoes (July to September), cucumbers (June to September).
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
- 160 670 kJ
- 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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Gear for this recipe
-
See price on Amazon: 8-inch chef's knife (opens Amazon)
8-inch chef's knife
A sharp knife chops the herbs cleanly instead of bruising them.
Suggested: Victorinox
- See price on Amazon: Large cutting board (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Nesting mixing bowls (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Salad spinner (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Fine-mesh strainer (opens Amazon)
- See price on Amazon: Citrus squeezer (opens Amazon)
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Cleanup score 4/5 (easy cleanup): 2 things to wash, mixing bowl, strainer.
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