Table of Contents
I remember the first time I had tabbouleh: it was at my best friend’s house in high school. Their mom made a huge batch of this parsley, tomato, and slightly minty salad and I was in love. At the time it seemed so foreign and exotic. Since then, I’ve made tabbouleh countless times, using the standard recipe as well as crafting my own to fit my own cravings and what’s growing in the garden.
During the summer, my grocery bill is such a relief. I know, this doesn’t happen very often because usually, my largest household expense is at the grocery store. (Please tell me this is the same case for you!) But at this time of year, the vegetable garden is growing by leaps and bounds, giving me the best produce, all for free!. This is the very reason I love to garden: you get to enjoy the best the season has to offer and pick its bounty at the peak ripeness. Fresh garden produce is so much more flavorful when in season and packs the most nutrients when allowed to ripen in the garden.
With so many items being harvested daily, I like to make different dishes that can keep in the refrigerator throughout the week and provide great meals, sides, or snacks whenever needed. And that’s why tabbouleh is the perfect recipe to have on hand. As the tomatoes ripen throughout late summer, this salad keeps being the fresh and perfect dish to turn to. The great thing is that it gets better the longer it sits and marinates. So whip up a batch and pop it into the refrigerator for later this week. Weeknight meal perfection!
Watch how to make this tabbouleh recipe
Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- ½ cup bulgar wheat (I use Bob’s Red Mill bulgur wheat (affiliate link))
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 2 ½ cups finely chopped parsley
- ¾ cup chopped mint
- 5 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 ½ lb tomatoes
- 1 hothouse or English cucumber
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp coriander
- ¼ tsp cumin
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
Instructions
- In a small bowl, pour the boiling water over the bulgur. Let stand at room temperature for one hour. While the bulgur is softening, prepare the toasted nuts and salad.
- To toast the nuts, heat them over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Shake and move them until they are golden and aromatic (about 7-10 minutes) and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the coarsely chopped parsley, mint, and sliced scallions (both white and light green parts).
- Halve the tomatoes and remove the core, pulp, and seeds. Dice the tomatoes into ¼-inch pieces and add to the bowl.
- Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half, then in half again to create quarters. Cut out the seeds and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Add to the bowl.
- Make the dressing directly in the bowl with the salad. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, salt, pepper, minced or pressed garlic cloves, coriander, and cumin to bowl.
- Finish the salad by adding the bulgur. Mix to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to let the flavors soak in.
- To serve, sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top.
Nutrition
NOTE: This post contains affiliate links. I make a small commission off each item purchased through the link provided.
I love this tabbouleh recipe! The pine nuts and orange juice really adds to this traditional recipe. Thank you, I’m making it again tonight!