• Home
  • About me
  • WORK WITH ME
  • Recipes
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Supergolden Bakes

Sweet, savoury and everything in between

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About me
  • WORK WITH ME
  • Recipes
  • PRIVACY POLICY
×

Lebanese Tabbouleh salad { vegan }

August 7, 2018 by Lucy Parissi 10 Comments

915 shares
Jump to Recipe

This super-healthy Tabbouleh Salad is easy to make and packed with flavour – a powerhouse of plant-based goodness! I have stuck pretty close to the authentic Lebanese recipe with a couple of minor twists. 

You will also love my homemade Falafel

Large bowl of tabbouleh salad

What is tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh, also known as tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Lebanese recipe that has got to be part of your salad repertoire. It is simple and very easy to make, healthy, vegan and absolutely irresistible.

The authentic Lebanese tabbouleh recipe is made up of mostly parsley – lots and lots of chopped parsley. Really, I cannot emphasise this enough! The other main ingredients are tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, onion, bulgur wheat, lemon juice and olive oil.

[mv_video key=”esbgiime4nrltdyvcixr” volume=”70″ aspectRatio=”true” title=”Homemade Falafel” thumbnail=”https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/v1569510435/ar3vgbtplpdxxi17l0gb.jpg” doNotOptimizePlacement=”undefined” doNotAutoplayNorOptimizePlacement=”false” sticky=”false”]

Some versions of tabbouleh contain only a scant amount of bulgur wheat – as little as a couple of tablespoons – and are mostly made up of chopped parsley. I have upped the bulgur wheat here to make this more substantial.

Some versions use couscous instead of bulgur wheat, and there are also quinoa, farro and fregola (giant couscous) versions. All of them work quite well so pick your favourite.

Tabbouleh is usually served cold and can be accompany a myriad of dishes from grilled chicken and meat and fish. The salad itself is vegan and it can also be part of a Middle Eastern meze feast.

Zingy Tabbouleh salad in a small bowl

How to cook bulgur wheat

Bulgur wheat is my preferred grain for tabbouleh. Package instructions usually ask for it to be boiled for 15-20 minutes but it is even better to simply steam it.

Place the bulgur wheat into a bowl (no need to rinse) and cover with twice the volume of boiling water plus the juice of half a lemon.

Cover the bowl the let the bulgur wheat steam, absorbing the water. Leave for 15-20 minutes, drain excess water if there is any and fluff up with a fork. Let it cool before mixing into the tabbouleh.

You can cook couscous in the same way though it will need only 5-10 minutes to absorb the water.

Close up of Lebanese tabbouleh

My tabbouleh twists

My flatmate Jo used to make tabbouleh all the time when we were in college. It was cheap, cheerful, easy and filling – perfect student food! 

Her version was anything but authentic – she used lots of couscous with a little parsley, any veggies lurking in the fridge plus cubes of Cheddar cheese. Mock if you must, we thought it was the height of sophistication back in the day!

My current version sticks fairly close to the traditional Lebanese recipe with a couple of minor additions that, although not traditional, stick very close to the essence of the recipe. I like to add chopped bell pepper, pomegranate seeds and pomegranate molasses into my salad plus a teaspoon of Baharat.

You can add more veggies if you like, spring onions are pretty authentic but you could also add zucchini, chopped spinach, chopped lettuce etc. This salad is a powerhouse in terms of goodness!

If you haven’t come across Baharat before, it is a mix of seven Lebanese spices* and you can find it pretty easily these days online or in major supermarkets and ethnic stores. If you can’t find Baharat you can simply leave it out or add a generous pinch of ground allspice instead.

How to make tabbouleh

Step 1. Prepare your bulgur wheat by placing in a bowl and topping with twice the volume of boiling water plus the juice of half a lemon. Stir and cover the bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare your vegetables. Once the bulgur wheat has absorbed most of the water, drain and fluff up with a fork. Leave to cool.

Preparing bulgur wheat and chopping parsley

Step 2. Rinse the parsley and pat dry. Chop the parsley, discarding the stalks. Finely chop the mint if using.

Step 3. Seed the tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper. Chop all your vegetables into small, even cubes.

Tossing tabbouleh salad in a large bowl

Step 4. Add all the vegetables, pomegranate seeds, bulgur wheat and herbs into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, baharat and salt and give everything a good mix. Chill the salad until ready to serve.

Small bowl of Lebanese tabbouleh

MAKING THIS RECIPE OR OTHERS?

Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!

Other plant-based recipes to try

  • Grilled corn avocado salad { vegetarian | gluten free } 
  • Spiralized Vegetable Noodles with Smoked Tofu and Spicy Peanut Sauce
  • Honey-roasted sweet potato and squash with halloumi and basil oil
  • Vegan spiced carrot, parsnip and chickpea soup

Items marked with an asterisk contain affiliate links. If you purchase any items I will receive a tiny percentage of the retail price at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting this blog 🙂

Small bowl of Lebanese tabbouleh

Lebanese Tabbouleh salad { vegan }

Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes
This super-healthy tabbouleh salad is easy to make and packed with flavour. I have stuck pretty close to the authentic Lebanese recipe with a couple of minor twists.
4.92 from 12 votes
Print Rate
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Lebanese
Keyword: tabbouleh salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 213kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup | 200g fine bulgur wheat
  • 2 cups | 500ml boiling water
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 1 large bunch flat leaf parsley
  • 3 tbsp mint finely chopped
  • 1 red onion finely diced
  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 1/2 large cucumber
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baharat spice mix

Instructions

  • Prepare your bulgur wheat by placing in a bowl and topping with the boiling water plus the juice of half a lemon. Cover the bowl and set aside for 15 minutes while you prepare your vegetables. 
  • Once the bulgur wheat has absorbed most of the water, drain of excess water and fluff up with a fork.
  • Seed the tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper. Chop all your vegetables into small, even cubes.
  • Rinse the parsley and pat dry. Finely chop the parsley, discarding the stalks. 
  • Add all the vegetables, pomegranate seeds, bulgur wheat and herbs into a large bowl. 
  • Add the olive oil, juice of remaining half lemon, pomegranate molasses, baharat and salt and give everything a good mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  • Chill the salad until ready to serve.

Notes

  • Try replacing the bulgur what with couscous, quinoa or farro.
  • You can vary the ingredients according to your preference – I haven't used any garlic but you can add 1 minced clove if you like. 
  • Add crumbled feta cheese or grilled chicken for a more substantial salad.
  • Increase the lemon jjuice if you like it really tart!

Nutritional Info

Calories: 213kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1200IU | Vitamin C: 47.4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @supergolden88 or tag #supergoldenbakes!

  1. Lebanese tabbouleh salad in a bowl
« Sparkling peach whisky cocktail
Brown Sugar Pavlova with Caramelised Peaches »
Subscribe to get the all the latest tasty goodness delivered to your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription.

Comments

  1. Rachel Regan says

    January 03, 2020 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    The only ingredient we didn’t have was the pomegranate puree and we used bell peppers in brine instead of regular ones. I really enjoyed the flavours of the dish and found it handy for taking to work for my lunch. My husband adds feta cheese to his but I prefer mine without!

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      January 03, 2020 at 5:27 pm

      It is so handy for lunches isn’t it? Thanks for your lovely comment Rachel x

      Reply
  2. Erica says

    March 04, 2019 at 10:23 am

    I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Our stove is broken at the moment, so I need recipes that are healthy and don’t involve a stove. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Katherine Hackworthy says

    August 07, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    5 stars
    A simple, yet delicious dish. Great for feeding the family, or having with your barbecue. It looks great with the lovely colours.

    Reply
  4. Jacque Hastert says

    August 07, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    Loving all the colors and fresh flavors in this salad.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      August 08, 2018 at 6:08 pm

      It is a colourful feast for the eyes and belly!

      Reply
  5. Jenn says

    August 07, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    5 stars
    What a gorgeous salad! Love all those fresh flavors. I don’t think I’ve ever seen pomegranate in tabbouleh before, but it sounds delicious.

    Reply
    • Lucy Parissi says

      August 08, 2018 at 6:08 pm

      It adds such a nice colour and crunch!

      Reply
  6. Pam says

    August 07, 2018 at 8:02 pm

    5 stars
    Sounds wonderful and it’s certainly colorful and beautiful. Also, thank you for the tip on baharat. I love trying new spice mixes.

    Reply
  7. Danielle says

    August 07, 2018 at 7:22 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my favourite salads to make. The more herbs the better I say!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




HEY, NICE TO MEET YOU!

Picture of Lucy ParissiHi, I am Lucy Parissi, the recipe developer, food  photographer and author behind Supergolden Bakes. If you are looking for easy sweet and savoury recipes that are packed with flavour you have come to the right place!  READ MORE

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Salmon Fillets on a green plate
Air Fryer Bluberry Muffins
air fryer corned beef brisket
Air Fryer Gammon with redcurrant glaze on a plater with slice cut
Slices of air fryer banana bread, stacked, on a patterned plate
Air Fryer Brownies, stacked

More Posts from this Category

As Seen In…

Collage of brand logos, including Cosmopolitan, BuzzFeed, Chowhound, MSN, Elle, and Redbook