Enjoy a vibrant and refreshing meal with a Mediterranean Tabouli Salad with Roasted Eggplant. The rich smokiness of roasted eggplant is a great contrast to the bright freshness of parsley and lemon juice. Created as a deconstructed tabouli salad, the individual ingredients shine when combined together.
This delicious salad is full of texture from chewy bulgur, hearty chickpeas, and crunchy pistachios. Fresh herbs and lemon juice add fresh and bright flavor. Everything is pulled together when tossed with toum, a Lebanese garlic sauce.
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What is Tabouli Salad
Tabouli salad, also spelled Tabbouleh, is a popular Middle Eastern side dish comprised of finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, onions, and mint. The salad is tossed with a bright lemon and extra virgin olive oil dressing. This vegetarian salad is a healthy dish, low in fat and high in fiber and vitamins. It is often served as a part of a meze, a spread of dishes served as appetizers.
Why You Will Love This Salad
- While this is a twist on a traditional recipe, the salad has the same bright and fresh flavor.
- Garlic lovers, this one is for you. The toum is addictive and partners well with the salad ingredients.
- This is a great recipe easily adapted for vegan diets. Replace the feta with your favorite vegan cheese.
- The bulgur and chickpeas add richness and fiber.
Main Ingredients
Vegetables
A variety of vegetables adds interest and texture to the salad.
- Eggplant - Roasted until nicely caramelized and the interior is creamy
- Grape Tomatoes- Juicy, ripe tomatoes add sweetness and a touch of acid to the salad
- Red Onion - Sweet red onion adds crunch and a bit of pungent flavor
- Radishes - Crunchy with a peppery bite
Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are an integral part of tabouli salad.
- Flat-Leaf or Italian Parsley - Typically finely chopped in tabouli, this recipe uses the whole leaves
- Dill - A fresh and slightly citrusy taste
- Fresh Mint Leaves- Very prevalent in Middle Eastern cooking
Fiber
- Chickpeas - Use canned for ease of preparation
- Bulgur Wheat - There are different textures of bulgur available. Use fine bulgur and prepare according to package directions. Fluff with a fork when the bulgur is finished cooking.
Garnishes
- Feta Cheese - I used Mediterranean herb feta cheese but plain is fine
- Pistachios - Salted nuts add a lot of crunch and a pop of flavor in the salad
Lettuce
- Romaine - The crunchy texture holds up when combined with toum
- Radicchio - The bitterness of radicchio is a great partner with the other vegetables
Recipe Instructions
Preparing the salad is easy. Prepping a few ingredients first is helpful so that the salad remains crunchy and fresh.
Prep Salad Components
- Tear the romaine lettuce leaves and radicchio into large bite-sized pieces.
- Rinse and drain the lettuce. Remove excess water by using a salad spinner. If you don't have one, wrap the lettuce in paper towels to absorb the water. Put the lettuce in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Peel and cut the eggplant in a large dice and place it on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper and put in a 450 degree oven.
- Prepare the bulgur according to package directions.
- Let both of these ingredients come to room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Cut the grape tomatoes in half.
- Thinly slice 1 or 2 radishes. Then cut the slices into thin match sticks.
- Remove the long stems from the flat leaf parsley. You are only using the leaves.
Prepare Toum
It is important to use a food processor to get the correct texture in the sauce. Here is a recipe that I use for toum - https://www.seriouseats.com/traditional-toum. I found it is easy to follow Sohla El-Waylly as she gives step-by-step instructions. It's delicious!
Assemble the Salad
Once the toum is prepared and the eggplant and bulgar have come to room temperature, you can prepare the salad.
- In a large bowl, combine the vegetable components - lettuce, tomatoes, onions, radishes, chickpeas, and parsley
- Add dill fronds, mint leaves, and pistachios. Break the feta cheese into small pieces and toss into the salad.
- Break up any clumps in the bulgur and add to the salad. Toss in the roasted eggplant.
- Now add the toum to the salad, gently tossing all the ingredients to distribute the sauce. How much you use is up to you and how garlicky you want the salad. I used ½ cup.
- Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top of the salad. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Serve with a side of warmed pita bread, some creamy hummus, and baba ganoush.
Substitutions
This is a versatile salad. Here are a few substitutions you can make.
- Are red onions too hot for you? Try thinly sliced green onions instead.
- Kalamata olives would add great flavor.
- Is the toum too much for you? Use a lemon vinaigrette that is used in traditional tabouli recipes. Combine lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
FAQs
To keep tabouli fresh, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It's best consumed within a day or two to maintain its texture and flavor. However, I found the salad was still crisp for a few days. This is a great make-ahead recipe as the flavors get better as the salad rests.
A popular variation of tabouli is lentil tabouli. This variation adds a different texture and flavor while still maintaining the essence of the traditional dish.
Rotisserie chicken would be delicious in this salad.
Flavors of the Mediterranean
Looking to elevate your salad game? Enjoy the vibrant and bold flavors of this Mediterranean Tabouli Salad with Roasted Eggplant. Full of color and texture, this recipe is a great balance of bright and flavorful flavors.
Whether enjoyed as a refreshing side dish, a light lunch, or a satisfying main course, this salad will be the star of the show.
Here are some other refreshing salads to try - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/asparagus-and-fava-bean-panzanella-salad/
https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/easy-spring-salad-recipe/
Recipe
Mediterranean Tabouli Salad with Roasted Eggplant
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 food processor
- 1 colander
- 1 salad spinner optional
- paper towels
Ingredients
Salad Components
- 2 cups eggplant, peeled and diced (5.5 ounces/155 grams)2
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 cup grape tomatoes (5.5 ounces/157 grams)
- ½ cup cooked fine bulgur (6 ounces/172 grams)
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced (2 ounces/57 grams)⅓
- ⅓ cups radishes, thinly sliced (1.5 ounces/42 grams)
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed (1 ounces/28 grams)
- ½ cup chickpeas (3 ounces/85 grams)
- ¾ cup feta (4.5 ounces/127 grams)
- 4 cups romaine (10 ounces/283 grams)
- 4 cups radicchio (10 ounces/283 grams)
- ½ cup shelled pistachios
- ½ cup fresh dill
- ¼ cup fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°.
Prep Salad Components
- Tear the romaine lettuce and radicchio into large bite-sized pieces.
- Rinse the lettuce in cold water. Remove excess water by using a salad spinner. If you do not have one, place the lettuce in a colander to drain. Wrap the drained lettuce in a few layers of paper towels. Once the water is removed, place the lettuce in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Remove the peel from the eggplant. Cut it into a large dice and place on a sheet pan. Toss the cubes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, and a healthy pinch of ground black pepper.
- Roast the eggplant for 10 minutes. Rotate the cubes and place the sheet pan back in the oven. Roast for another 10 minutes, until the eggplant is browned and softened. Take out of the oven and place to the side to cool.
- While you are roasting the eggplant, continue to prep the other ingredients.
- Cook the bulgar wheat following the package directions. Fluff with a fork when the bulgur has finished cooking.
- Cut the grape tomatoes in half.
- Thinly slice the red onions.
- Thinly slice 1 or 2 radishes. Then cut the slices into thin match sticks.
- Remove long stems from the parsley. You are using only the large leaves. Rinse the leaves and wrap them in paper towels to remove excess water.
Prepare Toum Recipe
- Follow the link for toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce). A half recipe is more than enough for the salad. Though toum is delicious with grilled vegetables or chicken shawarma.
Assemble Salad
- Once the toum is prepared and the eggplant and bulgar have come to room temperature, you can prepare the salad. Combine the vegetable components - lettuce, tomatoes, onions, radishes, chickpeas, and parsley.
- Add dill fronds, mint leaves, and pistachios. Break the feta cheese into small pieces and add to the salad.
- Break up any clumps of bulgur and add it to the salad. Also, toss in the roasted eggplant.
- Now add the toum to the salad, gently tossing all the ingredients to distribute the sauce. How much you use is up to you and how garlicky you want the salad. I used ½ cup.
- Squeeze some lemon juice over the top of the salad. Divide among 4 salad plates and serve.
Notes
- Are red onions too hot for you? Try thinly sliced green onions instead.
- Kalamata olives would add great flavor.
- Is the toum too much for you? Use a lemon vinaigrette that is used in traditional tabouli recipes. Combine lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
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