Tabbouleh was one of the best things I ate when I visited Jordan. It's a healthy dish with incredibly fresh flavor, and it goes with so many main courses.
Serve this with chicken, beef, or seafood. This tabbouleh salad recipe is also great on a vegetarian menu. It would be wonderful as part of a mezze platter with this delicious red pepper dip with pita bread on the side.
One of my favorite activities to do when I'm traveling is taking food tours and participating in cooking classes. I am was thrilled we were able to get into a class at Petra Kitchen.
This restaurant was created in 2004 by Eid Nawafleh. His hope was that everyone who came to Wadi Mousa would be able to experience the food of his hometown.
There's no better way to experience food than to be taught to prepare it, so you can recreate those flavors once you're home. The local chefs at Petra Kitchen will teach you how to prepare the food, even explaining the different ingredients along the way. It's a wonderful experience!
Authentic Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh is a traditional salad served a lot in the Middle East. In fact, it was probably on our table every evening at dinner, but the history goes back to the Middle Ages.
In the Middle Ages, people used edible herbs as a regular part of their diet. Today, Tabbouleh salad is served with the first course of mezze in Jordan as part of the cold dishes.
There are many different versions of this salad, depending on where it is made. The tabbouleh recipe I made was straight from Petra Kitchen and is the style that is served in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.
Tabbouleh is also a popular dish in Turkey, Armenia, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, as well as in Southern Asia. The flavorful combination of herbs and lemon dressing makes a wonderful side dish to shawarma, kebobs, or any kind of meat.
How to Make Tabbouleh
The first step is always to gather your ingredients. I used Bob's Red Mill Red Bulgur. Prepare the bulgur according to the directions on the package.
Combine the parsley and mint and chop very fine. Set aside.
Petra Kitchen instructed us to do all the chopping by hand. I've seen other recipes where they used a food processor. Be careful not to over-process the ingredients if you use this method.
Chop onions very fine and add them to parsley and mint.
Chop the tomatoes very fine and sprinkle them with salt. Add them to the salad mixture.
Stir in bulgur.
Add lemon juice and olive oil and stir until well combined. Serve chilled.
I like serving this tabbouleh salad in a small dish on the side of the meal.
But you can also serve it right alongside grilled chicken or steak. In fact, I would put it right on top of chicken shawarma and serve it on pita bread!
I love this recipe and plan on making it often. Let me know what you think!
If you're on the Weight Watchers plan, this will come in at 4 points.
Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1 lb tomatoes fresh, finely chopped
- 3 ¾ C parsley fresh, finely chipped
- ½ C olive oil
- ½ C lemon juice
- 1 C bulgur
- 2 onions large, finely chopped
- ¾ C mint leaves finely chopped
- 1 T salt
Instructions
- Prepare the bulgur according to the directions on the package.
- Combine the parsley and mint and chop very fine. Set aside. I did all the chopping by hand as that is the way they taught me at Petra Kitchen. I've seen other recipes where they used a food processor. Be careful not to over-process the ingredients if you use this method.
- Chop onions very fine and add them to parsley and mint.
- Chop the tomatoes very fine and sprinkle them with salt. Add them to the salad mixture.
- Stir in bulgur.
- Add lemon juice and olive oil and stir until well combined.
- Serve chilled.
Nutrition
You'll also want a list of activities, so these things to do in Amman will help you with that part of your itinerary, too. The Visit Jordan website is always a good place to begin your planning, too.
Please come back and let me know when you visit and share your favorite things. I'd love to go back and see more of Jordan!
Many thanks to Visit Jordan for hosting me. It was an unforgettable experience.
Diane Pomeroy-Linsley
I've eaten this since I was a very young child My grandparents on mother's side were from Lebanon and we've always eaten tabouleh in Romaine lettuce leaves. Delicious!
Kelly Stilwell
Thanks so much, Diane! I appreciate the rating!
Michael Sannuto
Great post Kelly! Thank you for sharing! Happy New Year!
Kelly Stilwell
Thank you, Michael! Hope you like it!