Celery and Za’atar Tabouli Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Make Ahead

by: drbabs

March11,2012

4.4

5 Ratings

  • Prep time 1 hour
  • Serves 4

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

I love tabouli and eat it all summer long. I usually make it with cucumbers and tomatoes, but they can get watery and don't travel well. I love the taste of celery, and especially the leaves--green and vegetal and slightly bitter -- I use celery leaves frequently in my cooking. I also love za'atar, and thought it would marry well with celery. In this salad, you use the celery and the leaves, and while proportions are stated in the recipe, I suggest that you adjust according to your taste. For example, I like lemony tabouli salad, so my ratio of lemon (a lot) to olive or walnut oil (a little) may not work for you. I use bulgur wheat in tabouli, which is traditional, but I’ve made it with couscous and quinoa, both of which work really well.
drbabs

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Drbabs is a Food52er we know and love -- and trust in the kitchen.
WHAT: A new version of tabouli, created with portability in mind.
HOW: Make bulgur, add mix-ins. That's it -- seriously.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Run-of-the-mill tabouli has a way of getting water-logged too easily. By replacing the normal tomato and cucumber with sturdy nuts and crunchy celery, drbabs has effectively solved that problem. Pack the smart garnishes (yogurt, feta, and extra spice), and take this on your longest trip -- we dare you. —The Editors

  • Test Kitchen-Approved
  • Your Best Portable Side Contest Finalist

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • Za'atar (If you can't find it ready-made)
  • 3 tablespoonsdried thyme (or lemon thyme, if you can find it)
  • 3 tablespoonssesame seeds, toasted
  • 2 tablespoonssumac
  • 1/2 teaspoonkosher salt
  • 1 teaspoonAleppo pepper (not traditional, but adds a nice bite of heat)
  • Tabouli
  • 1 cupbulgur wheat
  • 1/4 cupza'atar
  • 1 3/4 cupsboiling water
  • 2 lemons, juiced and zested
  • 2 tablespoonswalnut or olive oil
  • 1/2 cupfinely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 6 inner stalks of celery with leaves, finely chopped (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery with leaves)
  • 1 spring onion or 2 scallions, minced
  • 1 pinchsalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cupplain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cupchopped toasted walnuts
  • More za'atar as needed
  • 1/2 cupcrumbled feta cheese (optional)
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, stir za’atar into bulgur wheat and pour boiling water over the mixture. Let sit until the water is completely absorbed, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, zest and juice your lemon, chop your parsley, onions and celery, toast your walnuts.
  2. When the wheat has absorbed all the water and cooled to room temperature, stir in zest and juice of one lemon (you might add more later) and 2 tablespoons of walnut or olive oil. Add in chopped parsley, onions, and celery and stir well. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust the rest of the seasoning to your taste. You may need more oil and/or lemon juice, and you may want to stir in more za’atar.
  3. To serve, scoop the tabouli onto a plate and add a tablespoon or so of plain yogurt. Sprinkle the yogurt with a tablespoon of the chopped walnuts and a pinch or two of za’atar. (I've also eaten it with a sprinkling of feta cheese, and it's really good!)

Tags:

  • Salad
  • Mediterranean
  • Middle Eastern
  • Grains
  • Vegetable
  • Bulgur
  • Celery
  • Parsley
  • Walnut
  • Make Ahead
  • One-Pot Wonders
  • Serves a Crowd
Contest Entries
  • Your Best Celery Recipe
  • Your Best Portable Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Leandra Bitterfeld

  • Viv Beu

  • Cristel

  • lapadia

  • QueenSashy

Popular on Food52

41 Reviews

equalfooting January 29, 2022

Delicious and very filling - good as a side OR a main dish :)

drbabs January 29, 2022

I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting.

Leandra B. November 29, 2017

HOLY CELERY BATMAN! I added roasted chickpeas to make it a meat free main. 10/10!

Viv B. May 18, 2017

Found the thyme overwhelmed the other flavours but still liked it.

drbabs November 29, 2017

What a great idea! Thank you.

Helen80 April 12, 2017

I never had tabbouleh with zaatar. this is new version of tabbouleh I will give it a try. I bought zaatar from www.eatzaatar.com and It has no filling and full of flavor. can;t wait to try it. thanks for sharing.

drbabs April 12, 2017

Thanks, I hope you enjoy it! I love za'atar.

Cristel February 8, 2014

I loooove tabouleh and this version was absolutely delicious. I used cracked freekeh instead of bulgur wheat, which I cooked until al dente, about 12-15min.
The salad was just as good the next day. What a scrumptious lunch it made!

lapadia August 21, 2013

Cheeers to being a finalist, drbabs!

drbabs August 21, 2013

Thanks, lapadia! It's so much fun.

QueenSashy August 16, 2013

I so wanted to test it, but it was already taken. I made it last night and love-love-loved it!!!

drbabs August 18, 2013

Thanks, I'm so glad you did. I'll be making yours is week.

Kukla August 16, 2013

Congratulations Barbara! I love tabbouleu and your combination of ingredients sounds great! Good luck!

drbabs August 18, 2013

Thanks so much, Kukla.

EmilyC August 15, 2013

Big congrats drbabs! I was one of the testers for this dish -- my family absolutely loved it! So happy to see this here as a finalist.

drbabs August 18, 2013

Hi Emily, I'm so happy y'all liked it.

JanetFL August 15, 2013

Sounds wonderful! I really dislike soggy dishes so love the idea of using nuts and celery in this Tabouli. Congratulations on being a finalist! You and Queen Sashy certainly make voting a challenge!

drbabs August 18, 2013

Thanks, Janet!

healthierkitchen August 15, 2013

This is a za'atar week!! Congrats!

drbabs August 18, 2013

Thanks. Every week is za'atar week in my house-- we love it!

veghead February 24, 2013

I was looking for a recipe that used celery. This is a winner - tastes wonderful. I am always looking for an excuse to use za'atar. i did add sorrel and tomatoes (kind of needed to clean out the fridge). Thanks for posting this.

drbabs February 24, 2013

I'm so glad you liked it. Tabouli is great for fridge cleaning!

LeBec F. March 15, 2012

babs, i think you may have finally got me to try my hand at za'atar! lovely components here; thx much for the inspiration!

drbabs March 15, 2012

Thanks, le bec fin, it's one of my favorite combinations. Like everything else, it's best when the thyme and sumac are really fresh.

EmilyC March 13, 2012

Oh yum -- this is absolutely lovely!

drbabs March 13, 2012

Thanks, Emily!

Panfusine March 13, 2012

oooh, this sounds so AWESOME!

drbabs March 13, 2012

Thanks, you're so sweet!

cheese1227 March 13, 2012

This looks fabulous!

drbabs March 13, 2012

Wow, thanks so much!

Bevi March 12, 2012

Wow, the Doctor did it again! I can't wait to make this for our annual spring pot luck.

drbabs March 12, 2012

Thanks, Bevi! I hope you enjoy it!

wssmom March 12, 2012

This is PERFECT with the nutty warm weather we're having!!! Great job!

drbabs March 12, 2012

Thanks!

aargersi March 12, 2012

Nicely done Dr B - this is a perfect make and keep for lunch during the week dish ... which I will be doing soon!!!

drbabs March 12, 2012

Thanks, A! I hope you enjoy!

em-i-lis March 11, 2012

yummy drbabs. and pretty!

drbabs March 11, 2012

Thanks, em. Photography is not my strong suit, but I keep trying!

Celery and Za’atar Tabouli  Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Celery and Za’atar Tabouli Recipe on Food52? ›

Tabbouleh is basically parsley salad. There's technically no lettuce in it. It's a salad made up of parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, and green onions – all finely chopped and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice!

What is a tabouli salad traditionally made from? ›

Tabbouleh is basically parsley salad. There's technically no lettuce in it. It's a salad made up of parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, and green onions – all finely chopped and tossed with olive oil and lemon juice!

Does tabbouleh contain cucumber? ›

Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouli) is a super fresh herb and bulgur salad, with parsley being the number one ingredient. It's dotted with diced cucumber and tomato, and dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice. It's refreshing, light and packed with healthy ingredients.

Does tabbouleh contain onion? ›

Tabbouleh salad is made of curly parsley or flat-leaf parsley, fresh mint leaves, tomatoes, onion, and bulgur wheat.

What is a substitute for tabouli? ›

While the classic tabbouleh recipe includes bulgur wheat, alternative versions can be made without it, using substitutes like quinoa, couscous, or even omitting the grain entirely. These variations allow for dietary restrictions or personal preferences while still maintaining the essence of the dish.

How long does tabouli last in the fridge? ›

Because of its ingredients, tabouli will last in the refrigerator for up to four days, so make sure you eat it before then.

Why is tabouli so good? ›

Tabbouleh is a healthy, vegetarian food that has no cholesterol, is low in fat, and high in fiber, vitamins, and much more. Plus, it makes great use of the backyard gardener's abundance of parsley, mint, tomatoes and cucumbers. This vegan dish can be made gluten-free by substituting quinoa for bulgur wheat.

Is tabbouleh good for your gut? ›

Contains compounds called glucosinolates, which protect the stomach lining and support a healthy digestive process. Like all cruciferous vegetables, it's also high in fibre.

Is Tabouli good for you? ›

Is tabbouleh good for you? Absolutely, aside from the olive oil in the dressing the dish is full of vitamins from the fresh ingredients. You also aren't wasting a lot of stomach space on less healthy “greens” like iceberg or romaine. The deeper greens of the parsley are more full of vitamins per bite.

Is tabbouleh good for diabetics? ›

Fresh mint, parsley, olive oil and lemon juice brighten this Middle Eastern dish.

What is a substitute for bulgur in Tabouli? ›

Quinoa. Quinoa is a gluten-free substitute for bulgur wheat with a similar profile of health benefits. It is also a great one to use as a substitute for tabbouleh, which is probably the most popular bulgur recipe. Quinoa tabbouleh is just as delicious and refreshing as its traditional version made with bulgur.

What is Lebanese tabbouleh made of? ›

Alternatively spelled tabouli or tabouleh, this Middle Eastern salad consists of finely chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, and bulgur wheat. Don't let the bulgur's presence fool you – traditional Lebanese tabbouleh isn't so much a grain salad as it is an herb salad with grains.

What ethnicity is tabbouleh? ›

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.

Why is my tabbouleh bitter? ›

The most likely sources of bitterness in a tabbouleh are parsley and olive oil. The parsley should be finely chopped to avoid bitter flavours.

What is tabouli in English? ›

tə-ˈbü-lē : a salad of Lebanese origin consisting chiefly of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, mint, onions, lemon juice, and olive oil.

What is the difference between bulgur wheat and buckwheat? ›

A main difference between bulgar and buckwheat is that bulgar contains gluten and buckwheat does not. This means that buckwheat is the better choice for people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

What grain is tabbouleh made from? ›

Bulgur wheat – If you're not familiar with it, bulgur is simply cracked wheat that's been partially cooked and then dried. Traditional tabbouleh would be made with fine bulgur, but because I have trouble finding it in grocery stores where I live, I typically prepare the salad with coarse bulgur.

What are the origins of tabbouleh What is the main grain in tabbouleh? ›

According to Wikipedia, tabbouleh is a salad of Arab origin and is "traditionally made of bulgur, tomato, and finely chopped parsley and mint, often including onion and garlic, seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and salt."

What kind of parsley is used in Greek food? ›

When it comes to parsley, and for oregano as another Mediterranean herb, The variety of parsley that is strongest in flavor is the Italian (broad leaf) variety. This is also true of Mediterranean oregano as it also has a stronger flavor than Mexican oregano.

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