Tabouli or Tabbouleh, a Lebanese salad, is an ideal summer salad. It is healthy, no cook and is delicious in taste. It is made with Bulgur (Dalia) as the main ingredient and loads of vegetables and herbs.
Surprised?Normally, we use Dalia in milk or in savory form, cooked with veggies. But salad?
Tabouli, being a Middle Eastern salad goes well with Pita Bread, Falafel and Hummus. So, next time, you decide to treat your family with Veg Mezze Platter then do not forget to include this salad. And in the end, a classic Mediterranean pudding, Mehabalaya, (an easy Milk Pudding) will definitely be like icing on the cake.
Tabbouleh or Tabouli or Tabouleh
They all are same! Spell it the way you like, that doesn't affect its taste and deliciousness. It continues to be a staple dish of Lebanese people and they just love it. Its just that different people in different areas of Middle East pronounce it and spell it differently.
Other than the spellings, there are some other minor variations, like some people:
- like to soak bulgur wheat in vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you are a non-vegetarian)
- like to soak it in water to which lemon zest, parsley stalk, mint etc has been added
- do not like to add cucumbers. Some use peeled whereas others prefer with peels.
- like to have their tabouli green, means too much of parsley whereas others prefer it with less greens
Thus, the variations are endless. And what suits your taste buds is the best. So, though this is the basic recipe, feel free to experiment it in different variations.
How to Make Tabbouleh Salad
For making Tabbouleh, no cooking is involved as it is in salad form. Just veggies, herbs and dressings are added to soaked Bulgur and that's it.
Herbs like mint, parsley and Vinaigrette dressing lends it an altogether different and yummy taste.
As far as nutritional value is concerned, I don't think I need to say anything.
Bulgur with loads of veggies…. what else can we ask for.
Tabouli Ingredients
Bulgur:
This is the main ingredient of this salad. What's Bulgur?
Well, bulgur is nothing but cracked wheat and is called Dalia in Hindi.
We have been eating this in our Indian cuisine since ages. We either make its Porridge or cook it with vegetables (Namkeen Dalia). The same Dalia is used in this salad.
Cucumber And Tomatoes
These two vegetables add crunch to the salad and tastes yum.
Parsley or Mint
Though made with Bulgur wheat, but this salad looks green and thats because of Parsley. Loads of parsley added to this salad is its speciality. However, as Parsley is not easily available therefore you can use fresh mint. Even mint is as fragrant as parsley. So, this is my Indian twist to this recipe. Again, I add spring onions too along with its greens.
Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette is a French Dressing for salads made mainly of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vinegar and some herbs. You can make it easily by mixing its ingredients in a bottle or even in a bowl. I have shared some tips as to how to make good Vinaigrette. Go through it too.
Tips For Making Good Vinaigrette
- You can use any vinegar be it White Wine or Balsamic or any other.
- Since Balsamic Vinegar is very strong in flavour as compared to other kinds of vinegar, then reduce the quantity of vinegar if using it.
- For the purpose of this salad, we take olive oil and vinegar in the ratio of 2:1 That means if you take 2 tbsp of oil then add 1 tbsp of vinegar to it.
- As we all know, oil and vinegar don't mix up. For making Vinaigrette, take a small bottle, put both olive oil and vinegar and shake vigorously. Your Vinaigrette is ready.
- You can add herbs etc in it if the recipe calls for.
- Make sure to shake the bottle again before adding it to the salad. This is because, when left for some time, oil and vinegar separate out again.
- Alternatively, you can whisk both oil and vinegar in a bowl, in case the bottle is not available.
- I have used Distilled White Vinegar in this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Is it necessary to roast Bulgur or can I skip this step?
I find the taste better when roasted but you can skip this step and straightaway soak it in hot water.
Q) Bulgur has gluten. Can I make it gluten-free?
Yes, use quinoa or couscous or Samak rice in place of bulgur. For quinoa, cook it in boiling water for 5-7 minutes or till done, strain and proceed as for bulgur. I have both the recipes on my blog so you can check those too.
Some other salads and soups that you may like to try are:
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Tabbouleh Recipe
An easy and healthy salad made with Bulgur perfect for summers
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Bulgur Wheat (Dalia)
- 1/2 Cup Hot Water
- 1 Cucumber
- 1 Tomato
- 1/4 Cup Spring Onions
- 1/4 Cup Parsley (Mint)
- Salt to taste
- 3-4 Tbsp Vinaigrette*
- 1-2 tsp Lemon Juice (Optional)
Vinaigrette
- 4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
Method
Roast Bulgur wheat on medium flame till light golden colour. (See Note 1)
- Soak Roasted Bulgur in very little water for roughly 15 minutes. In this time, bulgur will swell up absorbing all the water. (See Note 2)
- While the bulgur is being soaked, use this time in chopping cucumber, tomatoes, spring onion, and parsley/mint.
Take soaked Bulgur in a big bowl, add all the chopped vegetables, salt, and vinaigrette.
- Add lemon juice, if required.
- Toss nicely, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge.
- Serve with love.
Vinaigrette
- Just put both the ingredients in a small bottle.
- Shake shake shake...
- And your Vinaigrette is ready to go into your tabbouleh salad.
Variation
You can use Bulgur wheat, without roasting also.
Use Quinoa or Couscous or Samak rice in place of Bulgur.
- For quinoa, cook it in boiling water for 5-7 minutes or till done, strain and proceed as for bulgur.
- If taking roasted bulgur then skip the first step.
- Ensure that after soaking, there is no water in the bowl. In case some water is left after soaking bulgur then keep it in a colander for few minutes.
- After soaking, bulgur will get double in volume, like 1 cup roasted Bulgur will become almost 2 cups. So take accordingly.
- Chop spring onion along with leaves.
- Chop cucumber and tomatoes very finely so as to go nicely with little granules of Bulgur.
- Parsley, mint as well spring onion leaves give very good taste to the salad, so use them liberally. In case, parsley is not available then use the only mint. ( I used only mint).
- n the water used for soaking bulgur, you can even put the lemon zest, mint and parsley stems for flavouring. Later, just remove these.
- Tastes best when cold.
Taan hai a-roi !!!! (Have a nice meal)...
See you soon with other Yummy treats...
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