Gluten-free Tabouli Salad | Easy keto Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh salad (also spelled tabouli or tabbouli), which is popular throughout the Middle East, has its origins in Lebanese cuisine. It’s naturally vegan, easy to make, & full of delicious fresh flavors and textures!
This vibrant green vegan salad is made with chopped fresh parsley, mint, tomato, scallions, lemon juice, and olive oil. Bulgur wheat grains are also used in traditional tabbouleh. I have converted the recipe to Gluten-free Tabouli Salad by using walnuts, which make the salad gluten-free and keto too. Skip the bulgur, and instead add chopped walnuts for a crunch factor and a bump of extra nutrition.ย
Best Ever Tabouli Salad!

What Is Tabouli?
Tabouli is a staple in Lebanon and one of the most popular salads throughout the Middle East. Tabouli, like Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, and Falafel, is now popular all over the world.
Traditional tabouli, also known as tabbouleh, is made with bulgur wheat. Today, I made a gluten-free version of the recipe by substituting walnuts. The addition of walnuts takes your tabouli salad to a whole new level, and it is also a good choice for vegetarians or those who eat a plant-based diet.
Tabbouleh is not only delicious, but also a very healthy and nutritious. It is a vibrant, fresh-tasting, healthy salad that is simple to prepare. Fresh parsley provides the majority of the green in tabouli. Fresh mint and spring onions/scallions are also included, as are some juicy tomatoes. Finally, a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice brings out the flavors and the walnuts add an irresistible crunch.
You’re in for a Real Treat
Why You Will Love Gluten-Free Tabouli
- Low Carb: There are only 2 net carbs per serving.
- Fast: Tabbouli salad can be prepared in under 30 minutes.
- Easy: Simply chop and combine. This is a true no-cook recipe.
- Healthy: This gluten free tabouli is full of vegetables and high in fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.
- Vegetarian: It’s a delicious vegetarian side dish or salad.
- Delicious. It’s a very delicious salad that can be a part of a meze or as a light meal on its own.
- Keto friendly: This tabouli recipe is keto friendly, but you don’t have to be keto to enjoy it!
Ready to Dig In?
Why Add Walnuts?
Walnuts are a highly nutritious nut. They have significantly more healthy omega-3 fats and higher antioxidant activity than any other common nut. They are low-carb and work as a perfect substitute for bulgur wheat which is traditionally used in tabouli.
The addition of walnuts takes your tabouli to the next level. It is also a good choice for vegetarians or those who eat a plant-based diet too.ย ย
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Tabbouleh is a healthy, vegetarian food that contains no cholesterol, is high in fiber, and contains vitamins A, C, and B12. Furthermore, it makes excellent use of the backyard gardener’s abundance of parsley, mint, and tomatoes.
Traditional tabouli made with bulgur wheat should be consumed minimally on keto. However, if you want to make it keto you can swap the wheat for walnuts as I did or cauliflower.
Tabbouleh is traditionally made with bulgur, cracked wheat that contains gluten. However, it is gluten-free when made with walnuts or cauliflower.
Tabbouleh salad goes very well with chicken shawarma, grilled chicken, grilled meat, and even grilled salmon.
Sure, you can prepare tabbouleh salad ahead of time, but don’t add olive oil and lemon juice until you’ll ready to serve it. Tabbouleh will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, forย up to 4 days.
One serving of this tabouli salad has 2 grams of net carbs.
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, & Vegan
Top Tips
You can use a salad spinner to dry the parsley and mint.
If you like making tabouli daily, I highly recommend getting the Manual Food Processor. This little food chopper has made my life very easy.
If you’re using the food processer to chop the parsley, wash then fully dry the parsley before placing them in the food processor.
If you donโt have green onions, you can use finely chopped white onions.
Refrigerate tabbouleh salad for at least 15 minutes before serving. It will taste better.
If you don’t want to use walnuts, you can use quinoa. Quinoa works as a perfect substitute for bulgur and is very rich in proteins.
You can add pomegranate molasses for a tangier taste.
Gluten- Free Tabouli Salad Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- walnuts /chopped very finely
- fresh parsley /finely chopped
- tomato /finely chopped
- green onions (green and white part) /very finely chopped
- fresh mint /finely chopped
- black pepper
- salt
How to Make Gluten-Free Tabouli Salad
First, add finely chopped walnuts, olive oil, and lemon juice to a small bowl, and whisk until well combined. Set it aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by washing them and drying them thoroughly.
After that, place chopped vegetables in a large bowl, and add salt and pepper. Then pour the walnuts and dressing mixture over, and gently toss to combine.
Serve tabouli cold or at room temperature with lettuce leaves.
Other Delicious Middle Eastern Recipes To Try
- Pressure Cooker Whole Chicken | Instant Pot Whole Chicken And Rice
- Dajaj Mahshi (Rice-Stuffed Chicken)
- Unique Stuffed Dumplings: Kubba Halab
- Kurdish Kubba Hamuth -Iraqi Kubba Soup
- Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves Recipe (Dolma)
- Hearty Fava Bean Stew
- The Best Eggplant Kabob
- Fasolia with Meat | Middle Eastern White Bean Stew
- Chicken Molokhia Soup (Frozen Mulukhiyah)
- Sheikh El Mahshi (Middle Eastern Meat-Stuffed Eggplant)
If youโve tried this recipe or any other recipe on Sourandsweets, donโt forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience with my recipes. Please share it with me on Instagram.
Gluten-free Tabouli recipe
Ingredients
- ยผ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ยผ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ยผ cup walnuts chopped very finely
- 2 bunches fresh parsleyย about 2 cups finely chopped
- 1 tomato finely chopped
- 2 green onions green and white part, very finely chopped
- ยผ cup fresh mint finely chopped
- ยผ tsp black pepper
- ยฝ tsp salt
Instructions
- Add finely chopped walnuts, olive oil, and lemon juice to a small bowl, and whisk until well combined. Set it aside for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables by washing them and drying them thoroughly.
- Place chopped vegetables in a large bowl, and add salt and pepper. Then pour the walnuts and dressing mixture over, gently toss to combine.
- Serve tabouli cold or at room temperature with lettuce leaves.