Bulgur Wheat Salad Tabbouleh (Printable Version)

Refreshing Middle Eastern bulgur salad with fresh herbs, tomatoes, cucumber, and zesty lemon dressing. Serves 4.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Bulgur

01 - 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
02 - 1 cup boiling water

→ Fresh Produce

03 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
04 - 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
05 - 4 scallions, finely sliced
06 - 1 large bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup packed)
07 - 1/2 bunch fresh mint leaves, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup packed)

→ Dressing

08 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
09 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
10 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
11 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

# Steps:

01 - Place bulgur wheat in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over it, cover, and let stand for 10–15 minutes until the bulgur is tender and water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
02 - Add diced tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, parsley, and mint to the cooled bulgur.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
04 - Pour the dressing over the bulgur mixture. Toss gently until well combined.
05 - Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Serve cold or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes with minimal cooking, so even on busy weeknights you can have something restaurant-quality sitting in your fridge.
  • The herbaceous punch from all that fresh parsley and mint wakes up your whole system in a way that feels almost medicinal, especially after heavy meals.
  • It gets better as it sits, which means you can make it ahead and let flavors deepen while you go about your day.
02 -
  • Squeeze your lemon juice fresh—bottled tastes flat and slightly processed, and since the dressing is so minimal, every ingredient shows its true character.
  • Don't skip the resting time; I once served it immediately after mixing and it was good, but after 20 minutes in the fridge it transformed into something that tasted like the flavors had actually gotten to know each other.
  • If you're making this ahead of time, wait to add the tomatoes until just before serving, or add them an hour before at most—they release water that dilutes the dressing if they sit too long.
03 -
  • If you accidentally make it too lemony, don't panic—add another drizzle of olive oil to balance the acidity rather than trying to dilute everything with more bulgur.
  • Toast your bulgur briefly in a dry pan before adding the boiling water if you want a nuttier, deeper flavor that feels less refreshing but more earthy and grounded.
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