Last Updated on March 30, 2023
I’m not sure how much of an expert an Italian can be on Tabouleh, but I CAN say I love this stuff! It’s light and refreshing and even tastes good along side a mound dollop of White Bean Hummus. I adore Middle Eastern food. Actually, I enjoy a variety of ethnic foods. Okay, I just enjoy food.
You probably know that Tabouleh is made with bulgur wheat, which, of course, is a grain not allowed in my BIG FAT grain free life.
Just when despair had set in, I found a recipe in my new, amazing cookbook, Eat Well, Feel Well by Kendall Conrad for Tabouleh without bulgur. She actually explains a brilliant technique of pulsing zucchini in a food processor until it resembles tiny grains of bulgur wheat. Fantastic.
Kendall’s Eat Well, Feel Well cookbook contains over 150 mouth-watering recipes that are all SCD compliant. It has given me hope that a restricted diet doesn’t have to restrict our taste buds. The book has received rave reviews – even from one of my favorite Italians, Giada.
Here is my interpretation of Kendall’s Tabouleh recipe.
UPDATE: Since originally posting this recipe, I have adopted the AIP diet which eliminates nightshades, among other things. I still enjoy this tabouleh by just omitting the tomatoes. Easy peasy.
PrintGrain-Free Tabouleh (Paleo, SCD, GAPS, AIP option)
Ingredients
- 2 bunches curly parsley, washed and trimmed of stems
- 4 scallions, chopped (green and white parts)
- 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 6–8 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (omit for AIP)
- 2 zucchini
- juice of 1 large lemon
- olive oil
- sea salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Spin parsley in salad spinner to removed excess water.
- Finely chop parsley by hand. (A food processor will turn parsley to mush.)
- Place parsley, scallions, cucumbers and tomatoes (if using) in a large mixing bowl.
- Trim ends of zucchini. Cut into large chunks. In food processor fitted with blade, add zucchini and pulse until it resembles fine grains. Add to mixing bowl and toss.
- Add fresh lemon juice and olive oil to taste, coating well.
- Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Cover tabouleh and marinate in fridge for at least an hour.