How to make tabouli

What is tabouli?

A dish at the very heart of Middle Eastern cooking, tabouli (sometimes tabbouleh) is a salad made from bulgur instead of leafy greens. The combination of the bulgur, vegetables and herbs (especially parsley) makes tabouli a nutrient-rich meal and a light, refreshing alternative to a common salad.

What’s the difference between tabouli and tabbouleh?

Despite the difference in spelling, there is no difference between tabouli and tabbouleh. Instead, they are different spellings of the same flavorsome dish.

Homemade tabouli recipe

Creating tabouli can be broken into two primary steps: treating the bulgur and chopping vegetables and herbs. Start by soaking your bulgur until it becomes tender. Then chop your vegetables and herbs in the food processor, ensuring a fine chop. Finish by pouring your olive oil and lemon dressing over the salad.

Yields

6 servings

Ingredients

• Bulgur

• Diced cucumber

• Diced tomato

• Salt

• Parsley

• Mint leaves

• Green onion

• Olive oil

• Lemon juice

Tools

• KitchenAid^® food processor

• Multipurpose S-blade

• Bowl

Total time

20 minutes

Step 1: Soak bulgar

Begin with the base of your tabouli: wash the bulgur wheat and soak it in water until it becomes tender (or a maximum of ten minutes). Drain the bulgur well and place it into a serving bowl.

Step 2: Set up your food processor

Secure the work bowl at the base of your food processor. Attach the multipurpose s-blade and secure the lid. Learn more about how to set up and use a food processor.

Step 3: Chop vegetables and herbs

In medium-sized batches, place your mint leaves and parsley into the work bowl.

Select a “chop” setting if available, then pulse three to five times with your multipurpose s-blade. Then add onions and pulse for another two to three times to ensure a fine texture. Make sure to drain any excess liquid. On a cutting board, skin your cucumber and deseed it, along with your tomatoes. Dice these vegetables finely, or use the KitchenAid^® 13-cup food processor with dicing kit, then add them to the herb mixture.

Step 4: Whisk dressing

Put your olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a small bowl and whisk them all together.

Step 5: Combine ingredients and serve

Pour the vegetable/herb mixture on top of the bulgur. Finish by topping the salad off with the dressing and tossing. Let the tabouli rest for 20 minutes to allow the various flavors of the dish to mix with one another, then serve.

How do you keep tabouli from getting soggy?

To avoid a soggy tabouli, make sure you are draining all of your ingredients and letting them dry. This includes all of your washed vegetables and herbs as well as your bulgur. Additionally, make sure to check that your vegetable/herb mixture is drained before placing it on top of the bulgur.

How long does tabouli last?

Tabouli can be enjoyed as a next-day meal or even prepared in advance for meal prep later in the week. Letting tabouli sit for a day in the refrigerator may even help the flavors mingle. Because of its ingredients, tabouli will last in the refrigerator for up to four days, so make sure you eat it before then.