Jamie Oliver Tabbouleh

There’s this Jamie Oliver Tabbouleh I stumbled on once when I was desperately craving something cold, fresh, and not a sad desk salad. You know that sharp craving for something crisp, herby, with a bit of a snap in your mouth? That. The kind of thing you make barefoot in your kitchen when the sun’s slanting just right through the window. I didn’t plan on loving it. But I did. It’s a riot of parsley, mint, lemon—like someone bottled up spring and poured it into a bowl. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients Needed

For the salad:

• 1 cup (200 g) bulgur wheat
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked (not the dusty kind)
• 1/3 cup (50 g) pistachios
• 1 fat handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 big handfuls flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 6 radishes, chopped like you don’t care too much
• 4 spring onions, sliced thin
• 4 ripe tomatoes, cut chunky
• Juice of 2 lemons (yeah, about 4 tablespoons)
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the good stuff
• Seeds from one moody pomegranate
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac

How To Make Jamie Oliver Tabbouleh

1. Cook the bulgur. You rinse it under cold water while the kettle boils. Then it goes into a pot with salted water that smells faintly beachy. Simmer it 10 minutes-ish, just till it’s got that soft bite, not mushy. Drain, spread it out, forget about it for a bit.
2. Toast the pistachios. Dry pan. Medium heat. Don’t walk away. They go from nothing to burnt real quick. Chop them roughly—don’t fuss—and dump them in a big bowl.
3. The herbs come next. Strip the mint and parsley like you’re stripping the garden for treasure. Chop them like confetti. Get them in the bowl.
4. Then the radishes, spring onions, tomatoes. They shouldn’t be perfect. This isn’t fine dining. This is the good kind of mess.
5. Lemon juice and olive oil—add them straight to the bowl. Salt. Pepper. Stir like you mean it.
6. Once the bulgur is cool enough to not steam your face, fluff it up with a fork and toss it in. That’s when it starts looking like a proper salad.
7. Now the pomegranate. Cut it in half. Bash it with the back of a spoon till the seeds fall out in glossy little jewels. Pick out any bitter pith. It’s fiddly, but worth it.
8. Sumac gets sprinkled on last. Tangy. Slightly sour. Makes everything pop. Give it all one last mix.

Why I Love This Recipe

I made this on a weird Tuesday. One of those restless days. It ended up being exactly what I needed. Light but filling. Somehow comforting and zingy all at once. Shared it with a friend on my back steps while we swatted flies and talked about absolutely nothing. And everything. It’s a salad that doesn’t feel like punishment. That’s rare.

Recipe Tips

• Fresh herbs. Don’t even try with dried. Just don’t.
• Let the bulgur cool all the way. Trust me. Hot grain = sad herbs.
• No pistachios, Use almonds. Walnuts. Whatever’s got crunch.
• Want it hearty, Add chickpeas. Leftover roast chicken. You get the idea.
• Play with color. Add cucumber, yellow tomatoes, or whatever’s hanging around.

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Tabbouleh

• At Room Temperature: Okay for a couple hours. Picnic-perfect. Just keep it shaded.
• In the Fridge: Chuck it in a container. It holds up for about three days. Gets even better, actually.
• In the Freezer: Don’t. The herbs go limp and weird. Not worth it.
• Reheating: Nope. Eat it cold. Or at room temp. That’s the whole point.

Let’s Answer a Few Questions!

Can I make this the night before?
Yes. Please do. It’s one of those dishes that gets better after a little nap in the fridge.

Can I use something besides bulgur?
Yep. Quinoa works. Couscous too. Just follow the grain’s cooking rules.

Don’t have sumac. Big deal?
Not a deal-breaker. Squeeze in a bit of extra lemon. Maybe a pinch of zest. You’ll survive.

Is this recipe vegan?
Sure is. Nothing animal in sight.

How do you actually get pomegranate seeds out without destroying your kitchen?
Cut it in half, hold it over a bowl, and smack the back with a spoon. Wear an apron. It’s chaos. Beautiful chaos.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

• Calories: 277
• Carbs: 18.8g
• Protein: 6.3g
• Fat: 19.8g
• Sugar: 6.5g
• Fibre: 4.5g
• Sodium: 0.6g

Try More Recipe:

• Jamie Oliver Quinoa Salad
• Jamie Oliver Tuna Pasta Salad
• Jamie Oliver Zucchini Salad