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Beat the heat with this healthy and absolutely delicious No Cook Tabouli! Enjoy the bright, fresh flavors of this Mediterranean classic without turning on the stove! A summertime winner!
Too Hot to Cook? Make This Healthy, Delish No Cook Tabouli!
Though temperatures are moderate in most of the Pacific Northwest, a huge swath of the country is sweltering beneath a dreaded summertime heat dome.So, this seemed like a perfect time for me to share a recipe that doesn’t require turning on the oven or stove. Because sometimes it’s just too hot to cook.
Still, no matter how high the mercury goes, we still have to eat, right? And while the temptation to subsist on ice cream may be strong right now, it’s probably not a good idea for more than a day. Two at the most.
That’s where this yummy No Cook Tabouli comes in.
It’s loaded with heart-healthy, good-for-you ingredients that also taste terrific. Those bright, fresh flavors will have you and your family going back for seconds, even on the hottest days.
Best of all, the kitchen tools you’ll need to make this classic Mediterranean dish are a cutting board, a good knife, and a couple of bowls.
No heat. No flames. And NO cooking!
Making No Cook Tabouli – Technique, Subs, and Seasoning
Start with the Bulgar
The most important ingredient for tabouli is bulgar. Bulgar is cracked wheat that’s partially boiled and then dried. It’s frequently used in Middle Eastern cooking.
Since I started trying to eat more in line with the Mediterranean diet, I’ve been using a lot more bulgar. It’s got a nice, chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavor. Normally, I boil it. However, bulgar can be “cooked” without even turning on the stove.
Pour two parts warm tap water over one part bulgar, and leave it to soak. Two to three hours later, the water will be absorbed and the bulgar will be ready to eat.
All you’ll need to turn bulgar into delicious tabouli is lots of yummy herbs, veggies, and a light, tasty dressing.
Next, Add Herbs and Veggies
This recipe for No Cook Bulgar calls for generous additions of tomatoes, cucumbers, and shallots.
The amounts I suggest are just guidelines. If you like more tomatoes in your tabouli, go for it! Same with the cucumbers. There’s really no such thing as too many veggies, right?
If you can get your hands on homegrown or locally grown tomatoes, I highly recommend them. There’s nothing like the taste of a real, vine-ripened tomato! Otherwise, I’d use Roma tomatoes. They have a better flavor than most other grocery store options.
Likewise, fresh, homegrown cukes are the gold standard. However, cucumber season is still a way off, so I used English cucumbers. They’ve got a good flavor and a delicate skin, so you don’t have to peel them.
Shallots bring a nice bite to this dish, and the flavor isn’t quite as sharp as regular onions. That’s why I used them here. You could also use green onions or red onions. Whatever type you use, make sure they are chopped small. Onions add a nice zing, but biting into a big chunk of raw onion can be too much of a good thing!
Classic tabouli includes generous helpings of fresh parsley and mint. Unless you really dislike them, I’d stick with that. These fresh, cooling herbs bring a lot to the party, especially on a hot day.
Dressing and Seasoning
The basic version of the dressing for this No Cook Tabouli couldn’t be simpler. It’s just olive oil, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
However, you might want to jazz it up a little.
For a little extra spice, add one-half to a whole teaspoon of red pepper flakes. If you like more lemon flavor, add finely grated zest from the lemons. My go-to is a teaspoon of dried sumac, a classic Mediterranean spice with a citrusy flavor.
No Cook Tabouli – Almost A Meal in Itself
With whole grains, lots of veggies, and a heart-healthy olive oil dressing, No Cook Tabouli is a terrific side dish or starter salad. In fact, it’s almost a meal in itself. The only thing that’s missing is protein.
But that’s an easy fix.
Add protein to your tabouli by stirring in a can of drained, rinsed chickpeas. You can also crumble in a few ounces of tangy Feta cheese. My favorite way to make tabouli into a meal is to enjoy it with a generous helping of hummus.
No matter how you serve it, No Cook Tabouli is a terrific summertime dish. Give it a try this week!
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No Cook Tabouli: A Mediterranean Diet Recipe
- Yield: 4 entrée servings, 6-8 as a starter or side
Ingredients
For the tabouli:
- 1 cup bulgar (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand)
- 2 cups warm tap water
- 2-3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 large English cucumber, diced
- 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped fine (Can sub green or red onions)
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped (About one cup chopped)
- ½ bunch mint, chopped (About one half cup)
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (from 2 medium-sized lemons)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
Optional add ins – ½ to 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or zest from the lemon rind, or 1 tsp ground sumac
Instructions
- Place the bulgar in a bowl. Pour in the warm water. Cover and allow bowl to sit on the counter for 2-3 hours, or leave in the refrigerator overnight, until the liquid is absorbed into the bulgar.
- Fluff the bulgar with a fork. Stir in diced tomatoes, cucumbers, shallots, chopped parsley and mint. Set aside.
- Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and any optional seasonings together in a bowl or measuring cup. Pour dressing over the tabouli and stir. Can be served immediately or cover and place in the refrigerator to serve later. Tabouli will keep stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
