Tabbouleh is perhaps the most misunderstood dish in Middle Eastern cooking outside the region — made predominantly of bulgur wheat in Western versions when it should be predominantly parsley. The Lebanese and Palestinian original is a herb salad with a small amount of bulgur; the Western version is a grain salad with a small amount of herb. These are categorically different dishes. Ottolenghi's Jerusalem version restores the correct ratio.
A salad of very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (dominant), mint, tomato, spring onion, and a small amount of fine bulgur wheat, dressed with olive oil, lemon, salt, and optionally allspice. The bulgur is soaked rather than cooked — fine bulgur hydrates fully in the tomato juice and dressing liquid without heat.
Correct tabbouleh is bright, acidic, herb-forward, and refreshing — the grain provides bulk and texture, not flavour. The parsley's chlorophyll freshness, the mint's coolness, and the lemon's acidity are the flavour. The tomato provides sweetness and moisture. Together they make the most effective palate-cleanser in Levantine cuisine.
- Parsley must be the majority ingredient by volume — the correct ratio is approximately 4:1 parsley to bulgur [VERIFY] - Fine bulgur (#1) only — coarse bulgur requires cooking and produces a stodgy result - Soak the bulgur in the tomato juice and lemon before combining — it absorbs as it rests and will not taste raw - Chop the parsley very finely — not minced, but fine enough to become a consistent texture throughout the salad - Dress generously with lemon — tabbouleh should be distinctly acidic. Under-lemon tabbouleh tastes flat - The tomatoes must be ripe and their juice used — it is part of the liquid that hydrates the bulgur
OTTOLENGHI JERUSALEM — Technique Entries OT-01 through OT-25