A Very Green—and Greedy—Salad

An abundance of fresh garden herbs—the more, the better—paints this refreshing salad green. (Louno Morose/Shutterstock)

Tabbouleh is a bulgur salad; in fact, it’s also a very green salad. It consists of an abundance of fresh garden herbs jumbled together with bulgur, citrus, and olive oil, which paint this salad an unmistakable green. You might also call tabbouleh a very greedy salad, since there seems to be no limit to the fresh herbs it will absorb.

Tabbouleh is a staple in Levantine cuisine, where warm-weather salads refresh and nourish. It’s a satisfying dish that can serve as a light main course or as an accompaniment to grilled meat, fish, and vegetables, or it can be packed into pita pockets with crumbled feta and a drizzle of garlicky yogurt.

The key to making this salad is to constantly taste for flavor and texture as you build it. Tabbouleh should be fresh and bright, juicy, and crunchy. Add finely chopped cucumber, peppers, and onion for freshness, sweetness, and a little heat. Keep the dice as uniform as possible. Chop entire bunches of parsley, cilantro, and mint, and fold the greens into the salad. Then chop more; the greener the tabbouleh, the better. Taste. There should be a balance of citrus, spice, and a kick of heat. Then refrigerate the salad for at least one hour to allow the ingredients to relax and mingle and the flavors to develop.

An abundance of fresh garden herbs—the more, the better—paints this refreshing salad green. (Lynda Balslev for Tastefood)

Tabbouleh Salad

Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes, plus mingling time

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 1/2 cups bulgur
• 1 1/4 cups hot water
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 3 scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, seeded, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, finely diced
• 1 green jalapeño or serrano pepper, seeded, finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
• Crumbled feta cheese for sprinkling

Combine the bulgur, water, lemon juice, and olive oil in a bowl. Cover the bowl and let stand until the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, lemon zest, black pepper, and cayenne and stir to blend. Stir in the scallions, cucumber, and peppers, then fold in the fresh herbs. Taste for seasoning; don’t hold back on adding more if needed. If the bulgur is too dry, add additional olive oil or lemon juice.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature.