If you search the Internet for a good tabouleh recipe, you will likely find a thousand and one different versions. While they are all pretty similar, no two are exactly the same. Some call for couscous, some use bulgur wheat, others use millet, even.

Sometimes, mint will be added in large quantities, sometimes not at all… I’ve even seen a few that called for cucumber… Then there are those who use a lot of bulgur, and those that use close to none.

I guess the bottom line is,a good tabouleh recipe is one that you will enjoy! I like to make mine with plenty of bulgur wheat and LOTS of mint. Also, I find the key to making good tabouleh is to chop your parsley and mint really really fine, so much so that you can’t even tell them apart.

Another ingredient that will now be a part of my tabouleh is sumac. One of my co-workers recently gave me some of that tart, very tart spice and I absolutely love it. For years, I had wondered exactly what made fattoush salad so tart and lemony. No matter how much lemon juice I’d add, I’d never get that INTENSE lemony flavour that traditional fattoush has. Now I know! 🙂

If you don’t have any sumac on hand, don’t go run to the store to buy some. But if you do, do add a little bit to your tabouleh. I find it really takes it to the next level!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup dry bulgur, soaked and drained
  • 5 cups flat parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 cups fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ tsp sumac
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Rinse bulgur under running water then soak in cold water for at least 3 to 4 hours.  Drain well and transfer to mixing bowl.
  2. Add your chopped parsley, mint, green onions and tomatoes. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, add garlic, lemon juice, sumac, salt and pepper and give this a good whisk. Pour over reserved salad and toss gently to combine.
  4. If you can, let your tabouleh sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to fully develop.