Tabbouleh
This Middle Eastern side builds fine bulgur, flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint into an easy meal you can have ready in about 55 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 5 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
At medium difficulty across 5 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Rinse the fine bulgur, then soak it in just enough cold water to cover for about 10 minutes until softened but still slightly nutty, and squeeze out any excess moisture so the grains stay separate.
- Wash and thoroughly dry the parsley and mint, strip the leaves from the thick stems, and chop them very finely with a sharp knife so the herbs stay bright green rather than bruised and watery.
- Dice the tomatoes into small 5 mm pieces, finely slice the spring onions, and combine both with the drained bulgur so the bulgur absorbs the sweet tomato juices as it sits.
- Add the chopped herbs, then dress with the juice of the lemons, the olive oil, allspice, salt and pepper, tossing gently to coat everything evenly without crushing the herbs.
- Taste and adjust with more lemon or salt, then chill for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to let the flavours meld and the bulgur finish softening.
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Tabbouleh
- Basbousa Dessert
- Chicken Shawarma Chicken
- Kofta Beef
- Labneh Starter
Tips & common questions
How long does Tabbouleh take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 5 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Tabbouleh vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Tabbouleh is an original Middle Eastern recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Beef shawarma and tabbouleh, Qantas, 2024 (01).jpg by Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.