This tabouli recipe uses bulgur, juicy tomatoes and vibrant herbs to make the perfect light summer salad. Make tabbouleh salad for dinner in 20 minutes!
In a bowl, either soak the bulgar wheat in fresh cold water for 60 minutes OR, pour boiling water over bulgar wheat and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Rinse in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear. Shake off excess water and transfer to a bowl.
Using a sharp knife, finely dice tomatoes. Add to the bowl along with their juices and toss to coat the bulgar wheat. Finely dice the shallot, add to bowl.
Grab half a bunch of parsley at a time and chop off half of the stems, discard. Finely CUT the parsley leaves and stems (See Note 4). Go over them once again to get as fine as possible. Add to the bowl and repeat with remaining parsley.
Separate the mint leaves from the stems and discard stems. Stack the mint leaves several at a time and cut them as finely as the parsley. Add to the bowl and repeat with remaining mint leaves.
To the bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, allspice, salt, black pepper and sumac (optional), stirring to combine all. Taste for seasoning and cover and chill 30 minutes.
Serve traditionally at room temperature or cold if you prefer. Stir before serving with lettuce leaves, vegetables, pita or pita chips.
Notes
Use any tomato if you prefer. I just find the Roma firmer to finely cut. A substitution may also be pomegranate arils.
Substitute curly parsley if you can't find flat leaf. Just be sure it is a 3 to 1 ratio of parsley to mint.
I often times substitute red pepper flakes for the black pepper.
I highly recommend using a sharp knife to cut the parsley and mint. If you use a food processor I've found it gets too mushy and wet, even though it makes it easier. You want the herbs light and flaky.