Coconut Free Classic Tabbouleh
Bright, herby, and impossibly fresh, this Lebanese-inspired grain salad is built almost entirely from the produce aisle — parsley, mint, scallions, and ripe tomatoes doing the heavy lifting. The bulgur is soaked rather than boiled, absorbing lemon juice as it softens so every grain is seasoned from the inside out. A whisper of allspice and cinnamon gives the dressing a warmth that lifts the whole bowl without tipping it into sweet territory. Salting the tomatoes first and draining off the excess liquid is a small but brilliant step that keeps the salad from turning watery as it sits. Extra-virgin olive oil and a generous squeeze of lemon tie everything together into something that tastes far more complex than its ingredient list suggests. It's naturally free from any tropical oils or additives that can sneak into store-bought versions, so what you get is clean, whole-food eating at its most satisfying. Scoop it up with crisp romaine leaves or pile it alongside grilled proteins — either way, it disappears fast.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- ¼ cup fine bulgur wheat
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 10 oz total), cored and finely diced
- 3 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, very finely chopped (from about 2 large bunches)
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, very finely chopped
- 4 scallions (green and light green parts only), thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
For serving
- romaine lettuce leaves, for scooping (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the bulgur in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse briefly under cold water. Transfer to a small bowl, pour over 1 tbsp of the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Let the bulgur soak at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, until the grains are just tender and have absorbed the liquid.
- 2
While the bulgur soaks, place the diced tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt. Let them sit for 5 minutes, then tilt the bowl and spoon off any excess tomato liquid that has pooled.
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