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My Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds uses parsley, mint, slivered almonds, and much less bulgur wheat to make a more carb-conscious Tabbouleh! And the almonds add a delightful crunch to this classic Middle Eastern salad; enjoy! 

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Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds shown in serving bowl with colorful black and white serving forks

Before I became more focused on carb-conscious eating, this Tabbouleh Salad (also spelled Tabbouli and Tabouli) is something I would often take to pot-lucks and summer barbecues. And among my friends in those days it got the name Kalyn’s Tabbouleh because people would ask each other, “Have you tried Kalyn’s Tabbouleh with almonds?”

And even though I always used a pre-seasoned tabbouleh mix for the bulgur part in my Tabbouleh recipe, a woman from Lebanon came to a party at my house, and she went crazy over my version of this middle eastern salad.

Tabbouleh is another one of those classic middle eastern recipes that I loved from the first time I tasted it. Many people like tomatoes or cucumbers in Tabbouleh, but this combination is the one I make over and over.

Of course, you can add tomatoes and cucumbers if you prefer, which would mean the salad had even more lower-carb ingredients in proportion to the bulgur. 

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What is Tabbouleh Salad?

Tabbouleh Salad (also spelled Tabbouli and Tabouli) is a classic dish in the middle east, and traditional recipes for this bulgar wheat salad contain large amounts of parsley and mint, and much less of the other ingredients compared to the Tabbouleh that’s often found in the U.S.

Why do I add almonds to Tabbouleh Salad?

Adding almonds to this classic middle eastern salad was just an idea that popped into my mind many, many years ago. And it was such a hit with my friends that I started doing it all the time and eventually added this simple recipe to the blog!

Can Tabbouleh Salad be Gluten-Free?

Definitely the bulgur wheat in traditional tabbouleh recipes won’t work for gluten-free diets, but you can make Tabbouleh with quinoa, and that gluten-free version is also delicious.

My Favorite Shortcut for Making Tabbouleh:

Kalyn's Tabbouleh with Almonds photo of jar with Tabbouleh mix

You can tell this tabbouleh recipe is a long-time favorite for me, because for years I would buy the mix in bulk and I had the recipe written on the lid of this jar. I always bought the mix from Smith’s Marketplace, but last time I went to get it, it had disappeared from the bulk foods. Now I just buy a box mix and dump it into my jar!

process shots collage for Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds

How to make Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. This Fantastic Foods Tabouli Salad Mix (affiliate link) is the one I use most often these days (and no, they are not paying me to write about it, just in case you’re wondering.)
  2. Mix the dried tabouli mix with water, olive oil, and lemon juice and let it stand for a couple of hours, until the liquid and oil is absorbed.
  3. After a few hours fluff the Tabbouleh with a large spoon or fork.
  4. Coarsely chop the fresh parsley and fresh mint; I like a generous amount.
  5. Then stir in the slivered almonds, and season with Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) and Vege-Sal (affiliate link) to taste.
  6. Tabbouleh will keep in the fridge for a day or two, but it’s definitely best the day you make it when the herbs are still fresh.
  7. I love this photo of a Middle Eastern salad, in a bowl from Turkey, with forks from Kenya, and a placemat from Thailand!

Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds in serving bowl with black/gold napkin and serving forks

Make it a Meal:

This Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds would taste great with Very Greek Grilled Chicken, Chicken Souvlaki, Greek Pork Chops, or Grilled Shrimp Skewers You could add Middle Eastern Tomato Salad for the perfect combination of middle eastern flavors.

More Tabbouleh Salad to Try!

Tabbouleh with Almonds shown in serving bowl with decorative napkin and serving spoons
Yield: 6 servings

Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds

Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

My favorite version of Tabbouleh Salad is made with almonds, mint, and parsley, and much less bulgur wheat than traditional Tabbouleh.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Fantastic Foods Tabouli mix (See Notes)
  • 7/8 cup water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 T fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (measure after chopping)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (measure after chopping)
  • 1 cups slivered almonds (more or less, to taste)
  • 2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (see notes)
  • Vege-Sal or salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Mix dry tabbouleh mix, water, olive oil, and lemon juice in a container with a lid and let sit in refrigerator several hours.
  2. When ready to make salad, wash parsley and mint in salad spinner.
  3. Then chop finely with large chef’s knife or in food processor.
  4. Mix mint and parsley into tabbouleh mixture.
  5. Stir in almonds, Vege-Sal and Spike (affiliate links).
  6. This Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds will keep for 1-2 days in refrigerator, but best eaten fresh. (After it’s been in the fridge I sometimes add a little more olive oil and Spike to perk it up.)

Notes

Fantastic Foods Tabouli Salad Mix (affiliate link) is the one I use now, or use bulk mix from the health food store if you're lucky enough to find it. Spike Seasoning (affiliate link) is highly recommended; I would never leave that out. Use another all-purpose seasoning blend if you don't have Spike.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 260Total Fat 17.5gSaturated Fat 1.9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15.5gCholesterol 0mgSodium 926mgCarbohydrates 22.2gFiber 5.6gSugar 1.4gProtein 6.4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Salads
Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds in black bowl with decorative salad forks.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Tabbouleh Salad is made with bulgar wheat, which does have some carbs. You can make Tabbouleh with quinoa, which would be higher in protein, although this would probably still be too high in carbs for strict low-carb eating plans. Tabbouleh with Almonds would be limited to phase two or three for the original South Beach Diet, and you might want to use fewer almonds if you’re strictly following South Beach.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Tabbouleh Salad with Almonds was updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, July 2016. The recipe was updating and improved with nutritional information in 2020 and it was last updated with more information in 2024.

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