Mediterranean Tabbouleh is fresh and filling and a very easy recipe. A little preparation then things are just tossed together. Great salad or side dish.
This is not your mother's tabbouleh but a new updated twist using three grains. I fell in love with unusual grains this year and have been experimenting more and more. The grains are easy to find these days and I am so happy!
Let me tell you a little story. So here I am in the kitchen and I have all my ingredients for this recipe all lined up on the counter. I take a peek in the couscous box thinking how pretty - then I set it down. I cut off the top of my bag of red wheat berries and look inside. Ohhh, ahhh.
Then it gets set back on the counter. Very clumsily I might add because it falls over and the berries start rolling ... and bouncing. The sound is kind of nice if you didn't really know what was happening.
I grab the bag to set it back up to stop the avalanche and I hit the couscous box. Stop the insanity! Luckily it was aimed more towards the back of the counter so only a few of those roll onto the floor. Sigh.
Everything gets picked up and cleaned and I get back into making Mediterranean Tabbouleh. It didn't take long and it sure was good!
Mediterranean Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- ½ cup wheat berries - red, cooked (bulgur)
- ½ cup couscous - cooked
- ½ cup quinoa - cooked
- ¼ cup lemon juice - freshly squeezed, about 2 lemons
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup scallions - chopped
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley - chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves - chopped
- 1 cup cucumber - seeded, diced very small
- ¾ cup tomatoes - diced, such as plum or Roma
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start cooking the red wheat berries first because they take the longest. Follow the package directions.
- While the red wheat berries cook the couscous and quinoa according to their package directions. You can substitute vegetable broth for water when cooking but it's not necessary.
- Drain and add all of the cooked grains to a bowl.
- Add the oil, scallions, parsley, mint, cucumber, tomatoes, sea salt and pepper.
- Mix well.
- Season to taste and serve or cover and refrigerate.
- You can not freeze this salad. It is best fresh and actually improves after being kept in the refrigerator a day or two.
Notes
Nutrition
Kate @ Diethood
What a pretty salad! So colorful and healthy, I just want a big ol' spoon and maybe a napkin. 😉
Courtney @ NeighborFood
I have been craving cold grain salads this summer, and this looks like it would hit the spot!
Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files
I am loving how you used three grains here! And cold salads are the perfect summer dish!
Sara
I love tabbouleh, but I've only ever had it with bulgur, I love the idea of using all these grains!
Nancy [email protected]
I have not heard of Tabbouleh before but it has all kinds of wonderful ingredients in it that we would love! And spilling this while I cook is the story of my life! 🙂
Melanie | Melanie Makes
This looks amazing - and healthy! A must try for sure.
amanda @ fake ginger
I looove tabbouleh but never thought to use different grains! I can't wait to make this!
Gina Marie
I have never had tabouli before and I keep hearing about how good it is I feel kind of ashamed of myself in the culinary world having never tried this dish lol this looks good I would definitely have to put this on my meal plan and rotation in the following weeks I'll let you know how I like it ?
Kim @ Three Olives Branch
Tabbouleh has become one of my favorite things! I love how fresh and vibrant this looks! I could eat a bowl of it for lunch
Catherine
This is right up my alley! I love the mix of grains in this dish.
Nadja Belgrave
I haven't had wheat berries yet, but this tabbouleh looks and sounds delicious.
Wendy
Hi Ginny! I am Spanish and I lived a long time in the Middle East. Please, do not consider what I am going to comment as a reproach, on the contrary, I just want to share what I learned living in such a distant land.
The Taboule is a Lebanese salad whose base is young parsley (not left on the plant for long), finely chopped, tomato in concasse, spring onion and fine burgol (soaked 10 minutes in cold water). Proportion; for 3/4 kl. of parsley with stem - a handful of burgol - 3 pear tomatoes without seeds and peeled and 3 or 4 spring onion, finely chopped; seasoned with salt and lemon juice (I also add olive oil, but the original does not have it). It is usually eaten with pita bread. Here in Spain, I don't do it because I can't find young parsley, they only sell it very dark green and it's too hard.
That said, your salad is 10 and I hope to make it this summer. As a single dish on a hot day it is ideal, very complete..
Take care about your self. Kisses
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