Tabbouleh is a Lebanese herb salad, and the most common misunderstanding about it concerns the ratio between the ingredients. In most Norwegian recipes, tabbouleh is a bulgur salad with a little parsley. In Lebanon it is a parsley salad with a little bulgur – the bulgur is a seasoning in quantity, not a base.
This is not splitting hairs. The ratio changes the whole dish: it should be green, fresh and light, not heavy and grainy.
Ingredients (serves 4 as a side)
- 2 large bunches of flat-leaf parsley, about 150 g once the coarse stalks are removed
- 1 small bunch of mint, about 20 g
- 4 tbsp fine bulgur – yes, only four
- 3 firm tomatoes, in small dice
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
- Juice of 1–2 lemons
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, and a pinch of sumac if you like
Method
- Soak the bulgur in the tomato juice from the dice, topped up with a little lemon juice if needed, for 15 minutes. It should not be boiled – fine bulgur softens in the liquid alone.
- Chop the parsley by hand with a sharp knife. Do not use a food processor: it crushes the leaves and presses out the liquid, and the salad turns dark and pulpy. Gather the leaves into a tight bundle and cut thin strips.
- Mix the parsley, mint, tomato, spring onion and the soaked bulgur.
- The dressing is stirred together from lemon juice, olive oil and salt, and folded in just before serving.
Timing matters more than you think
Salt and lemon draw liquid out of the parsley. Fold in the dressing too early and the tabbouleh will be sitting in a pool half an hour later. Everything can be prepared in advance, but the dressing goes on at the last moment.
Why the parsley has to be dry
Wash the parsley well ahead of time and dry it thoroughly, ideally in a salad spinner and then on a tea towel. Wet parsley dilutes the dressing and makes the leaves stick together as you chop.
Frequently asked questions
Curly or flat-leaf parsley? Flat-leaf. Curly parsley is tougher and gives a different texture.
Can I use couscous instead? It makes a different salad, but it works. Couscous has a larger grain and takes up more room in the mouth.
How long does it keep? Undressed, a day in the fridge. Once mixed, it should be eaten the same day.
What do you serve it with? As part of a meze with hummus, falafel and flatbread, or alongside grilled meat.
