Buckwheat Tabbouleh

Buckwheat tabbouleh salad made with soaked raw buckwheat groats, fresh parsley, mint, onion, and tomato, then dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and salt.

This gorgeous tabbouleh recipe uses soaked buckwheat groats instead of bulgur wheat, making it the perfect gluten-free alternative to a classic dish. 

You really can’t go wrong with this salad, it’s an absolute winner! It makes enough for 4 people to enjoy a good serving full and is easy to double or triple if you’re making it to share with friends.

What is tabbouleh?

Tabbouleh (also spelled tabouleh, tabbouli and tabouli) is a Middle Eastern salad with fresh parsley being the star of the show. 

Traditionally the ingredients for this salad include soaked bulgar wheat plus very finely chopped mint, parsley, tomato and sweet onion or spring onion.

It's then dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt.  

Remember that it’s a parsley salad, so it’s all about the parsley. It’s very moorish, pretty inexpensive to make as well as quick and easy to do.

You can also make other versions of vegan tabbouleh by replacing the bulgur wheat with sprouted quinoa, sprouted lentils, hemp seeds or raw cauliflower rice.

What to eat with tabbouleh?

This raw tabbouleh is perfect for lunches and dinners served on its own, with pitta or scooped into lettuce leaves like cos, romaine or little gem.

I love this served with hummus, falafel, olives, and Israeli salad.

Buckwheat Tabbouleh is great for sharing. It works well in packed lunches, buffets and picnics with a mezze.

It’s best served slightly chilled.

Suitable for meal prep?

Yes, this tabbouleh recipe is excellent for meal prep!

You can easily make this in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Suppose you’re looking for more buckwheat recipes. In that case, you may love this apple and raspberry buckwheat breakfast, raw buckwheat porridge or this blackberry parfait.

Ingredients.

Parsley - gives a mild, slightly peppery flavour. It’s the central ingredient, so use the freshest parsley you can find.

Mint leaves- fresh and uplifting.

Buckwheat Groats - a slightly nutty flavour, and gluten free.

Tomatoes - many recipes avoid using the insides of tomatoes in tabbouleh, but I love their juiciness. You decide.

Lemon - adds that much-loved fresh citrus tartness.

Extra virgin olive oil - if you prefer, you can omit the oil altogether. Swap it for a little blended celery or courgette instead. They both have a mild flavour and will work well in this dish.

Recipe Steps

There are only a few steps to making this recipe. You'll want to mix up the dressing first. Then follow these two further steps and it's ready.

Step 1. Add chopped tomatoes and half the dressing to the pre-soaked buckwheat.

Step 2. Finely chop the herbs and onion, then top with the tomato mixture and toss lightly until evenly mixed.

How to prepare raw buckwheat.

When shopping for buckwheat, be sure to buy the raw kind, not the toasted variety called kasha.

Soak the groats in water for a few hours (4-6 hours is good) to soften them.

I soak them overnight because that's easy. Please don’t eat them without soaking them or cooking them first. 

Soaking the groats will make the water gooey, so rinse them thoroughly in a sieve and drain them before using. 

You can use sprouted buckwheat if you prefer. However, I’d rather not wait that long, so I use soaked buckwheat instead.

If you fancy having a go at sprouting, follow the steps in this simple Sprouting Buckwheat tutorial.

Of course, if you want to cook them, follow the packet instructions, then rinse and drain them really well before use.

TIP:

You’ll want the soaked buckwheat to be quite dry before using. I tip the groats onto a clean kitchen towel and pat them gently to do this. Now they can soak up some of the flavours from the tomatoes whilst you finely chop the rest of the ingredients.

Other raw vegan salads you may like: