Middle Eastern · side, lunch

Lebanese Tabbouleh

Name: Lebanese Tabbouleh
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil; 3 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste; ¼ cup (about 35 g) extra-fine #1 bulgur, dry; 2 bunches parsley, finely chopped (about 2 cups); 1–2 firm vine-ripe tomatoes, seeds scooped out, finely diced; 2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped; ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional); about ¼ tsp salt, to taste; about ¼ tsp black pepper, to taste

Lebanese Tabbouleh — from Feelgoodfoodie's cooking video

Watch how it’s made · 5:16

Video by Feelgoodfoodie on YouTube · Open on YouTube

30 minServes 4200 kcal a serve

Vegan
Nut-free

Contains: Gluten. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Parsley is the main ingredient, so a serve is very high in vitamin K and high in vitamin C, with olive oil for heart-healthy fat and vitamin E and a little whole-grain bulgur. No cooking and no added sugar.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 9

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
¼ cup (about 35 g) extra-fine #1 bulgur, dry
2 bunches parsley, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1–2 firm vine-ripe tomatoes, seeds scooped out, finely diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped (optional)
about ¼ tsp salt, to taste
about ¼ tsp black pepper, to taste

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

Put the fine bulgur in a small bowl with the lemon juice and olive oil and whisk with a fork. Leave 10–15 minutes so the grain soaks up the dressing and softens. 0:53
Chop the parsley very finely by hand (not in a processor) and tip into a serving bowl with the chopped mint and green onions. 1:41
Quarter the tomatoes, scoop out the watery seeds, then dice the firm flesh small. Add to the bowl and season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. 2:35
Stir in the thickened bulgur mixture; the salad should be mostly green with just specks of bulgur. Taste, add more lemon if you like, and serve with a little extra tomato and a few lemon slices on top. 3:58

Tip. Serves 4 is our estimate (the cook's written recipe uses 3 bunches of parsley for 6). Hollowing the tomatoes keeps the salad from going watery; keep the seeds for a sauce. Best eaten the day it is made.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 4

Energy200 kcal840 kJ

Protein1.9 g4% of a day

Fibre2.5 g9% of a day

Carbohydrate9 g6.4 g net · 1.6 g sugars3% of a day

Fat18 g2.5 g saturated23% of a day

Sodium160 mg7% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

Net carbs 13%
Protein 4%
Fat 83%

Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin K High230%

276 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (89%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin C High35%

31 mg a serve, mostly from parsley (63%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin E High20%

3 mg a serve, mostly from virgin olive oil (87%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Folate Source11%

43 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (54%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin A Source10%

87 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (73%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Show the other 10

Iron9%

1.7 mg a serve, mostly from parsley (56%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Omega-39%

0.1 g a serve, mostly from virgin olive oil (91%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Magnesium6%

24 mg a serve, mostly from extra-fine #1 bulgur (35%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Potassium5%

240 mg a serve, mostly from firm vine-ripe tomatoes (38%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin B65%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from firm vine-ripe tomatoes (39%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Zinc4%

0.5 mg a serve, mostly from parsley (36%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Calcium3%

39 mg a serve, mostly from parsley (53%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium0%

0.2 µg a serve, mostly from extra-fine #1 bulgur (67%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

Recipe and video by Feelgoodfoodie; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.