Name: Tabbouleh VI
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml ) bulgur wheat; 2 cups (480 ml) fresh parsley , finely chopped; 1 large tomato , diced with seeds discarded; 1 cup (240 ml) green onions , chopped; ⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil; ½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 pinch of salt

Why it works: Parsley and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Tabbouleh VI

Ingredients

1 cup (240 ml ) bulgur wheat
2 cups (480 ml) fresh parsley , finely chopped
1 large tomato , diced with seeds discarded
1 cup (240 ml) green onions , chopped
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 pinch of salt

Directions

Prepare the bulgur

Boil 2–3 cups of water.
Once water comes to a boil, add bulgur wheat.
Remove from heat.
Let cool.
Drain the bulgur wheat.

Assemble and chill

Mix the bulgur wheat with all other ingredients.
Refrigerate.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

198Calories

3 gProtein

14 gFat

19 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 9 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Bulgur	not in our table	0
Wheat	not in our table	0
Seed	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Parsley + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together14,037 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Tomato + olivetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,539 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Wheat + olivetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,100 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
Parsley + olivetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,649 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Bulgur + parsleytop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together93 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Bulgur wheat: Provides the chewy, absorbent base that soaks up the lemon juice and oil.
Fresh parsley: Supplies the main bulk and fresh, green flavour of the salad.
Extra virgin olive oil: Adds fat and richness, carrying flavour across the grains.
Fresh lemon juice: Adds acidity that brightens the salad and balances the oil.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bulgur, wheat, parsley, tomato, olive, lemon):

Eggplantfits better
Spinachfits better
Capsicumfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against bulgur, wheat, parsley, tomato, olive, lemon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.