Tabbouleh Puts Parsley in the Spotlight

Middle Eastern salad Tabbouleh. Ingrid Heczko/Dreamstime/TNS

By Beth Dooley From The Minnesota Star Tribune

Parsley is one reliable green this time of year. No matter the weather, you can count on parsley—curly and Italian—to be in every grocery store, and the kitchen workhorse can do more than garnish a plate.

It makes a delightful salad, perhaps best known as an ingredient in tabbouleh. While most tabbouleh recipes pay homage to bulgur, I prefer to use far more of this sprightly green than the grain. With its fresh, clean, peppery flavor, a parsley salad is the perfect foil to rich warming soups, stews, and braises.

We know parsley originated in the Mediterranean, but we’re not sure when. It’s featured in the cuisines of Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. There are three primary types of parsley—curly (French), flat (Italian), and then there’s parsley root (looking and tasting like a parsnip). Like most dark greens, it is loaded with antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K. It’s a great source of amino acids and folic acid, one of the most important B vitamins, as well as potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

Most cookbooks advise you to strip the leaves from the stems, but I find that’s a waste of parsley’s flavor and your time. The stems are just as tasty as the leaves and, when finely chopped, add oomph to a dish. To chop up parsley, hold the bunch together and use a French or chef’s knife and mince the leaves and stems together by rocking back and forth. You only want to use as much parsley as the recipe requires.

Don’t underestimate parsley, especially this time of year. It can hold its own in a salad with a variety of bold ingredients—roast beets, citrus, chicken and/or hunks of aged cheese. Or just serve a simple parsley salad dressed in a bold vinaigrette, a perky side to any robust winter meal.

Mostly Parsley Tabbouleh

Serves 4 to 6.

Most tabbouleh recipes highlight bulgur instead of vibrant parsley. I prefer to use more of this bright green than the grain. You might toss in a bit of roast chicken or a few cubes of feta cheese. But for me, when this salad is served with a dish of green olives and toasted lavash, it’s a satisfying vegan meal, and all that I need. Feel free to switch out the bulgur for wild rice, farro, brown rice, or whatever you please.

• 1/3 cup fine bulgur
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 shallot, chopped fine
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 to 6 bunches parsley, chopped fine (about 4 1/2 to 5 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped basil and or mint leaves, or more parsley
• 1 small cucumber, seeded and diced, optional
• Pinch coarse black pepper, to taste
• Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
• Green olives, for serving
• Toasted lavash, for serving

Bring 1 cup salted water to a boil. Stir in the bulgur, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over low heat until the grain has softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, shallot, cumin, and salt. Whisk in the olive oil.

In a large bowl, toss together the bulgur, parsley, mint, and cucumber, if using. Toss in enough dressing to lightly coat, and season with the black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Serve with green olives and toasted lavash.

Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com. Copyright 2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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