“Tabbouleh, also spelled tabouleh, tabbouli, tabouli, or taboulah, is a Levantine salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, soaked uncooked bulgur, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and sweet pepper. Some variations add lettuce, or use semolina instead of bulgur.” This recipe from Mary Markarian, a mother of three and a sourdough baker, is featured at “The Art of Armenian & Middle Eastern Cooking” Facebook website.
Tabbouleh is thought to have originated in Lebanon, where it is the national dish. As the dish traveled, it adapted to the tastes and ingredients of new regions while retaining its core elements. According to the Manoosh Pizzeria website, “The name tabbouleh comes from the Arabic word ‘taabil’ which means to season or spice and tabbouleh is thought to have first been eaten in the mountains of Lebanon and Syria more than 4000 years ago. Ancient scholars believe that herbs known as ‘qadb’ formed a crucial part of the Arab diet throughout the Middle Ages, and were used as the basis of many popular dishes, including tabbouleh. Variations of tabbouleh can be found throughout the Middle East and beyond, from the Armenian ‘eetch’ to the Turkish ‘kisir’ right through to the Cypriot ‘tambouli’. Lebanese immigrants even introduced a version of tabbouleh to the Dominican Republic known as ‘tipile’.”
Mary adds: “I think this is one of the best tabbouleh recipes. It’s a famous Mediterranean/Middle Eastern salad that is made with cracked wheat (bulgur), tons of fresh parsley, fresh mint, onions, tomatoes, and spices, and in my recipe, I add finely chopped cucumbers (my family is from Aleppo and that’s how it’s made there). If you don’t add cucumbers, leave them out, but trust me, it’s amazing.”
Ingredients:
1/4 cup #1 fine bulgur
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, to taste
