I am honored to share this beautiful recipe with you. I personally never experienced the flavors of Tabbouleh like they were meant to until I met my partner, Jameal. His father is from a small village in Syria and the Middle Eastern food we cook and share together is filled with so much love, flavor and vibrancy. He shares stories of home, the olive trees and smell of something always cooking in the air. There are many reasons that Tabbouleh has been a staple for thousands of years in Syrian and Lebanese culture. It's also very beneficial for gut health and pairs well with any meal. With such incredible flavors that truly define Syrian cuisine, this refreshing and nourishing salad is a very special piece of every family meal together. We’d like to also shout out a grassroots organization called Operation Olive Branch, they’re supporting and amplifying aid requests of Palestinian families and we want to support the work they’re doing too!
This salad requires love and care when making. Making tabbouleh is not to be rushed. Put on your favorite playlist (ours is Fairuz!) and connect to the ingredients and people around you.
The parsley should be fresh and abundant. I prefer flat leaf parsley. There are hacks to remove the leaves, but I prefer using my hands to pick each and every piece.
Here’s the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
1 lb parsley (about 4-5 bunches), chopped
1/2 bunch of mint, chopped
1 english cucumber, seeded and finely diced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c fine bulgur (here’s Tiann’s favorite)
1/4-1/2 c lemon juice (have 4 lemons just in case)
1/4 c - 1/2 c Olea Pia Olive Oil
1/2-1 tsp Pineapple Collective The Salt.
1/2 bunch of mint, chopped
1 english cucumber, seeded and finely diced
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 c fine bulgur (here’s Tiann’s favorite)
1/4-1/2 c lemon juice (have 4 lemons just in case)
1/4 c - 1/2 c Olea Pia Olive Oil
1/2-1 tsp Pineapple Collective The Salt.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pick off the parsley leaves and mint and wash in a salad spinner until the water runs clear. Spin and lay out on paper towels to dry.
- Combine the bulgur with warm water in a small bowl and soak it for about 30-60 mins. It should be soft in texture to taste. (When seeding the tomatoes, squeeze them into the bulgur!)
- Finely chop the parsley and mint. You can use a cuisinart which does a very good job as well.
- Finely chop the cucumber and roma tomatoes. You can also use a cuisinart for the cucumber, but the tomatoes are best chopped by hand.
- Finely slice the green onions.
- Once the bulgur is ready, combine all of the ingredients together. This can be refrigerated for up to 3 hours. About 10 minutes before serving, mix the ingredients. Allow the flavors to meld for a minute or two before tasting, and add more olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed (always needed!)
- Dress the salad with some pieces of romaine lettuce as it’s an honored tradition to eat Tabbouleh this way!
