This Lentil Tabbouleh recipe is a copycat of the popular Mediterranean restaurant, Cava. Tender lentils are elevated into a fresh, bright salad, with parsley, cucumbers and tomatoes. Topped with a zesty and light dressing, this tabbouleh makes a delicious topping to homemade shawarma bowls with yellow rice, or as a light lunch on its own. No cooking required, and ready in under 10 minutes! For another Cava grill favorite, you'll love my copycat spicy harissa hummus, too!
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What Is Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh is a traditional Levantine salad. Traditional tabbouleh recipes are made with bulgur, parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, and sometimes the addition of fresh mint. Tabbouleh is generally lightly dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and simple seasonings.
Why This Recipe Works
No cooking required! This is a quick, no-cook recipe. That makes it perfect for hot weather, and summer days!
Fresh ingredients! The ingredients for this lentil tabbouleh are fresh, light, and bright. This recipe is a great way to clean out your produce drawer!
Simple dressing! You do not need to make a fancy vinaigrette for this tabbouleh salad. Minimal, pantry staples make for the perfect dressing.
Ingredients
- Canned lentils: Canned lentils are a fantastic pantry staple to have on hand, and save an incredible amount of time. They are just as nutritious as dry lentils, but are pre-cooked for convenience.
- Curly parsley: Curly parsley is traditionally used in tabbouleh. Flat leaf parlsey has a grassier flavour, that can sometimes be a little bit overpowering in a salad like tabbouleh. Curly parsley adds the fresh, bright herb notes, while being a little muted.
- Beefsteak tomato: I recommend using a firmer variety of tomatoes, such as hot house or beefsteak. They add more substance, without too much liquid of mushiness.
- English cucumber: I like to use english cucumber for salads, as the peel is thin enough to eat, and the seeds are also edible.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The dressing for this lentil tabbouleh is very simple. Because of this, I recommend using a good quality olive oil that you enjoy the flavour of.
- Fresh lemon: Much like the olive oil, the lemon juice is a central ingredient in the dressing of this salad. Fresh lemon juice has a brighter, pronounced citrus flavour.
- Fresh Dill {not pictured}
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Instructions
Prep Work Before Cooking
Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.
Drain and rinse the lentils - Drain the canned lentils in a colander, and rinse thoroughly to remove any of the canning liquid off of the lentils.
Remove the parsley and dill leaves from the stems, as best as you can. Finely chop the parsley and dill leaves, and add to a bowl with the lentils.
Prep the vegetables by chopping them in an even-sized fine dice. Before chopping the tomatoes, remove the seeds using a spoon. Add the chopped vegetables to the bowl with the lentils and parsley.
Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt, and toss.
Expert Tip
If you plan to make this salad ahead of time, you can salt the cucumbers in a colander and let them sit for 5-10 minute. Rinse the salt off, and then add to the salad. This will draw some of the moisture off out of the cucumbers, if the salad will be sitting.
Substitutions
- Lentils: If you prefer to use fresh lentils, you may use them. You can also go a traditional tabbouleh route by using bulgur instead of lentils.
- Curly parsley: If you only have flat parsley on hand, feel free to use it in this recipe. The flavour will be on the grassier side.
- Fresh lemon: You can use bottled lemon juice if you are in a pinch.
Variations
- Traditional Cava recipe: The Cava recipe uses onions in their recipe. I choose to not use them, as I find them a little overpowering for this salad. If you miss them, use them!
- Sumac: Sumac adds a tangy, citrus and fruity flavour. If you have some on hand, feel free to add some sumac to the dressing for an added twist.
- Cheesy: Crumble in fresh feta cheese for a salty, briny addition.
Equipment
This is what I used to make this recipe - Please be mindful that different equipment and cooking utensils may yield varying results. Most of my favourite equipment can be found on my storefront.
- Knives
- Mixing bowl
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead Instructions
This salad can be prepared 1 day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend pre-salting and rinsing the cucumbers before mixing the salad, to avoid extra liquid.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover tabbouleh in an airtight container in the fridge. The salad will keep fresh for up to 2 days. Anything beyond 2 days will likely result in soggy vegetables, and extra liquid accumulating in the container.
Recipe FAQs
No, you cannot freeze tabbouleh. The ingredients of this salad do not old up well to freezing or defrosting, and will likely result in a soggy, watery mess.
You can eat tabbouleh by itself. This lentil tabbouleh is full of fibre and protein from the lentils, which make it extremely fil
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Lentil Tabbouleh {Cava Copycat}
Ingredients
- 540 mL Canned lentils drained, rinsed
- ½ English cucumber finely diced
- 1 Beefsteak tomato deseeded, finely diced
- 1 bunch Curly parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup Fresh dill finely chopped
- ⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sea salt
Equipment
Instructions
- Prep parsley: Remove the parsley leaves from the stems, as best as you can. Finely chop the parsley leaves, and add to a bowl with the lentils.1 bunch Curly parsley, 540 mL Canned lentils
- Prep the vegetables: Prep the vegetables by chopping them in an even-sized fine dice. Before chopping the tomatoes, remove the seeds using a spoon. Add the chopped vegetables to the bowl with the lentils and parsley.½ English cucumber, 1 Beefsteak tomato
- Dress the salad: Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt, and toss.⅓ cup Extra virgin olive oil, 1 Lemon, 1 ½ teaspoon Sea salt
Notes
- If you plan to make this salad ahead of time, you can salt the cucumbers in a colander and let them sit for 5-10 minute. Rinse the salt off, and then add to the salad. This will draw some of the moisture off out of the cucumbers, if the salad will be sitting.
- Traditional Cava recipe: The Cava recipe uses onions in their recipe. I choose to not use them, as I find them a little overpowering for this salad. If you miss them, use them!
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