I posted this tabouli salad recipe before, but made it again recently with sprouted grains, so I’m re-posting and with pictures this time, too. I can’t wait until I can make it with all fresh produce from our garden!
Last time I posted it with Joe’s No-grain, Low-carb Tabouli Recipe – that one has the fresh “feel” of Tabouli with a lot of veggies, but it’s delicious in a different way. This one is more of a traditional Tabouli recipe. It’s one of those things that sounds and looks so “healthy”, that I’m surprised at how much I love it. It has such a fresh salad taste and is great on its own or with crackers. (Have you seen Ann Marie’s recipe for homemade sprouted whole wheat crackers?) Many have wondered what could be so good about it, but were converts after a couple bites.
Once I tried soaking these grains overnight (I think I just used the lemon juice), but it got a strong fermented taste quickly. So 
I tried making it with sprouted grains this time. When I read on the bag of organic bulgur/cracked wheat that it was “parboiled and cracked” (or something like that, the bag is gone now), I wasn’t sure if I could still get it to sprout, but sure enough, I did see some tiny sprouts shooting out. The sprouting makes this a much more nutritious recipe. (Read why that is.)
This takes some time to make, but it’s worth it! The most tedious part is chopping the veggies and cleaning all the parsley:
I finished cleaning the parsley in one hour and a few hundred interruptions later:
- 1 cup fine bulgur/cracked wheat, preferably sprouted
- 1 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
- 3 bunches of scallions, finely chopped (instead I use about 4 pieces of green onion)
- 1 1/2 c. chopped parsley (about 1 bunch)
- 5 large ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 1/3 c. olive oil (For quality olive oil, visit my resources page.)
- Sea salt
1. Put bulgur into a large glass bowl, then stir in 1 c. of the lemon juice and 2 c. water. Cover, set aside at room temperature until most of the liquid has been absorbed and bulgur is tender, about 2 hours. (If it’s sprouted, I skip this step and add enough lemon juice to my taste – I like a lot. Then just add the rest of the ingredients.)
2. Drain bulgur in a sieve, gently pressing kernels to remove excess liquid. Transfer to a clean large glass bowl and add scallions, parsley, tomatoes, olive oil, and another 1/8 c. lemon juice. Season with Sea salt and toss well.
Let me know if you love it, too!
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Rachel 06.04.09 at 6:55 am
I made this last night for dinner, too! Except I used quinoa (I have celiac disease), and I add cucumbers and lots of fresh mint.
I’m such a fan of your site! I’ve been reading the archives every chance I get. I’ve been using Nourishing Traditions on and off for a few years, but found it intimidating to do everything at once. Right now I’m nursing my second baby and I want to keep all of us as healthy as possible. I’m reading Weston Price’s book which is motivation, but I’m really encouraged by your blog. This way of eating is yummy and not too difficult to do.
Rachel’s last blog post..The Princess Bride
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Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen 06.04.09 at 11:52 am
YUM! I bet it would be fantastic served with preserved lemon and maybe a yogurt sauce? Tabouli is awesome for summer picnics too. I didn’t know that you could sprout bulghur – cool!
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen’s last blog post..Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream
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Henriette 06.04.09 at 12:25 pm
It is fun that you writes traditional:
I have 2 libanese friends and when we were making tabouli they said to me…
“You danes always put too many grains and too little herbs in !!”
Your looks more like mine than theirs
Made a lovely low carb version with lots of herbs, and pine nuts.
Henriette’s last blog post..Asparges
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Kelly the Kitchen Kop 06.04.09 at 9:42 pm
Rachel, I’m so glad my site isn’t overwhelming for you and that you find it all “doable”! Mmmm, mint and cucumbers, what a fun twist!
Jenny, your variations sound yummy, too.
Henriette, yes, this one did come out a little more on the grain side…but that parsley is such a pain, I can’t imagine how long it would’ve taken if I added even more!
Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s last blog post..Tabouli Salad Recipe – A Fresh, Delicious Dip or Salad!
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mar 06.08.09 at 7:46 am
How can you possibly sprout a grain that is cracked and parbolied in two hours?
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Kelly 06.09.09 at 12:07 am
Mar, if you tell me this is impossible, I’ll be so sad, but I surely thought I saw little sprouts…………..I could be wrong…but there is another way, of course it looks trickier (darn it), but it’s in Nourishing Traditions.
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Rien Wiersma 08.30.09 at 9:51 pm
Good variation. Traditional tabouleh made with very fresh flat or curly leaf parsley does not need the soft stalks removed and is cut in an instant in a food processor. Traditional tabouleh is about the parsley with very little cracked wheat. It’s hard to make if you do not grow your own parsley because the parsley needs to be just harvested, that’s what makes the dish.
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erin 02.04.10 at 12:19 pm
i have been making tabouli for a few years now and i never make it with boiling water as most resipes call for and everybody loves it. i always make the base at least 24 hours ahead of time. for the base in a stainless steel bowl (this makes it colder) i put 1 cup of tabouli with 1 cup of water, then add 1/4 cup of cold pressed olive oil, 1/3 cup of fresh lemon or lime juice (you can use the pure lemon juice from a bottle but i’ve got plenty of fresh citrus here in fl. and it tastes better) 1/2 teaspoon (more or less) fresh chopped garlic, 1/2 teaspoon dry oregano, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, black pepper to taste. i stir it all together and put it in the fridge for 24 hours. the next day i chop everything else in the food processor (i like mine like a cobb salad, even finer) the everything else is: a bunch of fresh parsley, a pint of grape tomatoes (they chop up better without getting too watery), a few green onions, a can of black olives, a cup of walnuts, some fresh celery, 8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese (i like the herb and garlic one.) everyone i know is always asking when i’m going to make it again and it is very healthy for you. remember, everything is finely chopped. i have just been put on a diet for celiac disease so i’m going to try and make it with millet now. i’m hungry just talking about it.
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Toxi Dixon 02.05.10 at 7:05 pm
Save your self gobs of time by using your food processor for chopping
the parsley. This makes it a snap when cleaning up the kitchen as well.
Very yummy recipe.
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