Tabouli Salad

This unique tabouli salad combines tabouli, a parsley salad, and a chopped salad with tangy grilled tofu. Every bite is like an explosion of flavor in your mouth. You will love this tabouli salad recipe.

I love tabouli and I love coped salad, so I combined my two favorites to create a fabulous Since becoming plant-based, salads have become a staple in my healthy eating plan. I try to include a large salad at least once daily, if not more. To stay consistent with my nutritional goals, I create a variety of salads so I don't get bored. Chopped tabouli salad, for example, is one of my favorite salads! 

Jump to:

• Tabouli Salad Ingredients
• Tabouli Salad Ingredient Substitutions
• Grilled Tofu Marinade
• How to Press Tofu
• Steps for Perfectly Pressed Tofu
• Tofu Cooking Options
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Although I make a lot of Mediterranean salad recipes, each one is different in the combination of ingredients, as well as, the dressings. My Mediterranean couscous salad, for instance, has a couscous base and is filled with tomatoes, kalamata olives, cucumbers, and red onions. On the other hand, my quinoa Greek salad with OMG dressing is a combination of greens, quinoa, beets, and other Mediterranean flavors. And, my Greek veggie pasta salad, is a pasta-based salad loaded with vegetables. 

Even though many salads contain some of the same ingredients, each has its own unique flair. Therefore, I created a chopped tabouli salad recipe with my special flair and another unique salad to add to my list of favorite salads. 

Tabouli Salad Ingredients

As I said, it's all in the combination of ingredients and the dressing. My tabouli salad, for instance, is full of fresh greens, vegetables, and grilled tofu, with an oil-free lemon vinaigrette dressing.

But, my tabouli salad is unique because I add mixed greens, pine nuts, raisins, and corn. Then I top it with tofu. So an ordinary tabouli salad is transformed into a version I absolutely love! 

• Mixed Greens: I chose a variety of Romaine, kale, and red leaf lettuce.
• Roma Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are great to add to salads because they chop well without a lot of seeds and moisture.
• Red Onion: Red onions give a tangy and sharp in taste and mix well with the ingredients.
• Red Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers are sweet and add a vibrant red color to the Tabouli salad.
• Cucumber: I prefer English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds than regular cucumbers, keeping the salad fresh and not soggy.
• Fresh Parsley: Fresh parsley is a main component in the salad as it is equally important as the lettuce.
• Mint: I grow my own mint. And I love the freshness in this salad.
• Pine Nuts: Pine nuts have a soft, nutty flavor with an undercurrent of sweetness, similar to cashews.
• Corn: I used fresh corn on the grilled with the tofu and cut it from the cobs.
• Raisins: Raisins add another texture to the salad.
• Grilled Tofu: I used extra firm tofu

Tabouli Salad Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any combination of greens, such as kale, collard greens, or spinach.
• Try grape tomatoes cut in half instead of Roma tomatoes.
• Green onions are an excellent replacement for red onions in this salad.
• Baby bell peppers work well in this salad and provide a variety of colors.
• Persian cucumbers are similar to English cucumbers because they have fewer seeds.
• If you don't like parley, try using a different herb like basil or cilantro.
• Cashews are similar to pine nuts in flavor and texture.
• Use frozen cooked corn or canned, drained corn instead of fresh corn.
• Dried cranberries or other dried fruit replace the raisins in this tabouli salad recipe.
• Skip the tofu or add tempeh or chickpeas.

Grilled Tofu Marinade

• Unflavored, Plain Vegan Yogurt: I used Kite Hill unsweetened, unflavored yogurt.
• Lemon Juice and Zest: Fresh lemon juice and zest give the marinade a fresh citrus flavor.
• Garlic: I prefer using fresh garlic whenever possible.
• Italian Seasoning: Italian seasoning includes  dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and dried marjoram, but several variations also feature additions like dried sage, fennel seeds, or even spices like garlic powder or crushed red pepper flakes
• Cumin: Cumin has a deep earthy flavor.
• Coriander: When ground, the seeds' roasted, nutty aromas come to the fore, though at the expense of all that lovely citrus.
• Paprika: The spice can range in flavor from mild and sweet to very hot. Domestic paprika is characteristically mild, sweet and vegetable-like. 
• Sea Salt: Sea salt enhances the flavors in the marinade.
• Pepper: I prefer fresh ground pepper.
• Parsley: Parsley brings a fresh flavor to the marinade.

The grilled tofu marinade is a modified greek yogurt marinade my grandma used to use with chicken. Of course, I changed some of the ingredients to make it vegan and deleted the oil. 

Before you marinate the tofu, however, you need to press the tofu correctly. 

How to Press Tofu

Pressing tofu is easy, and it helps reduce the amount of moisture in the tofu, so it can absorb the flavors of marinade.

Then, I figured it out with the help of my EZ Tofu Press. I bought it on Amazon, and in the beginning, I made the same mistakes. I didn’t follow the directions ( a problem I have, haha); I was in a hurry as I usually am, and I got the same results….tasteless tofu I didn’t like.

Not only is the E-Z Tofu Press easy to use, but it is also the cheapest one on the market! And I have owned it for years and never had to replace it with a new one. So, if you are looking for a quality tofu press that won’t break the bank, this one is a great deal. 

Steps for Perfectly Pressed Tofu

• First, carefully remove the tofu from the package, discarding the fluid from the package.  It’s delicate, though, so be gentle. 
• Then, place the tofu in the middle of the press and turn both knobs equally about four turns.
• I usually place the tofu press in the sink on its side to drain correctly. 
• Turn the knobs every two minutes, equally, until the tofu is about an inch or a half thicker.
• Most people stop here….NOT YET. Keep turning until the knobs are screwed as far as possible, almost touching the opposite end.

Tofu Cooking Options

Grilling

• Preheat the grill to low (400 degrees)
• Place a grill mat on the grill or place the tofu directly on the grill for grill marks.
• Cook for about 4 minutes on each side, rotating every four minutes for the grill marks (16 total minutes)
• Remove the tofu from the grill and cool until you are able to cut it into cubes.  
• Then, cut the grilled tofu in cubes and return it to the marinade. 

Baking

• Follow the same directions for marinating
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
• Place tofu pieces on a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats; I used my copper crisper pan.

Air Frying

• Dip the marinated tofu on each side with cornstarch.
• Place large pieces into the basket, not touching each other.
• Cook at 370 for 10 minutes.
• Open the basket and turn large tofu pieces over.
• Bake for 10 more minutes.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Press the tofu before marinating overnight so the marinade absorbs into the tofu.
• Marinate the tofu overnight for the best flavor.
• I also like to add the tofu back into the marinade after it cooks for additional flavor.
• Use a vegetable chopper to chop the vegetables small and bite-sized. It also saves a lot of time.
• Add quinoa or bulgar for additional protein.
• Allow the tofu to cool before adding it to the salad.
• Add chickpeas for additional crunch and protein.

Chopped tabouli salad is a unique blend of tabouli and a chopped salad topped with tofu. Enjoy this tabouli salad recipe.

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