Moroccan Cilantro Tabbouleh with Couscous
This past summer we got a delicious tabbouleh at the local market from a Moroccan food vendor. Instead of the usual parsley and mint leaves that flavor tabbouleh, this tabbouleh got a punch of flavor from cilantro. And it was a delightful surprise! That cilantro tabbouleh also had a lot of couscous, which is typical of tabbouleh found here in France. The couscous worked really nicely, though, to balance out the stronger flavor of the cilantro. Here, I endeavor to create my own version of that recipe to share with you.
Styles of tabbouleh
- Lebanese tabbouleh: This is the original tabbouleh salad, popular in both Lebanon and Syria. It’s mainly a salad of finely-chopped parsley with some mint, onion, a sprinkle of bulgur and seasoned with a citrus dressing. Growing up in America, I was used to this variety, albeit usually made with a bit more bulgur.
- Moroccan tabbouleh: There are many diverse recipes out there for Moroccan tabbouleh, but the one unifying factor is the presence of couscous instead of bulgur and a lot of it. Along with parsley and tomato, you may find versions with cilantro, raisins, pine nuts, preserved lemon peel, or other summer vegetables. Here in France, it’s this sort of couscous tabbouleh that’s popular, with just a tiny sprinkle of parsley and tomato for color.
For this Moroccan cilantro tabbouleh, we use plenty of couscous, but we also have plenty of chopped herbs and tomato to make this a delightfully refreshing salad. We loved this rendition of cilantro tabbouleh at our house. I hope you enjoy it, too!
Two key points about making cilantro tabbouleh:
- Chop. Be sure to finely chop all the ingredients, especially the parsley. Coarsely chopped parsley has a rougher texture and does not meld as well with the other ingredients. It is also recommended never to chop parsley in a food processor for tabbouleh because it will turn the parsley too soft and it will oxidize faster.
- Dry. To avoid a wet salad, be sure to dry your herbs and vegetables well before chopping. Parsley particularly likes to hold on to water.
Moroccan Cilantro Tabbouleh with Couscous
Ingredients
Salad:
- 200 g medium couscous (1 cup)
- 250 ml boiling water (1 cup)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 50 g cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 50 g curly parsley leaves only
- 10 g mint leaves only
- 100 g cherry tomatoes (3.5 oz)
- 2 tbsp chopped scallions
Dressing:
- 4 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Make the couscous: Place the dry couscous in a medium bowl. Mix the ¼ tsp salt and ½ tbsp oil into the boiling (or near-boiling) water and pour over the couscous. Cover the bowl tightly and let sit 6 minutes (or according to package directions).
- Chop: Meanwhile, chop the herbs and tomatoes finely. It is especially important to chop the parsley finely to ensure the best texture. Thinly slice the scallions.
- Make the dressing: Mix the lemon juice, ¾ tsp salt, and black pepper in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil.
- Mix everything together: Add the herbs and vegetables to the couscous. Then, pour the dressing over and mix well.