I am always looking for creative ways to serve vegetables and was delighted to find a recipe for Cauliflower Tabouleh at Bookcase Foodie (which she got from Eating Bird Food). Although tabouleh is normally made with bulgar wheat, in this creative version the cauliflower is chopped small–like grain–to substitute. This gives it a calorie and nutrition advantage and makes it suitable for those who are gluten intolerant.
Cauliflower Tabouleh Salad
Did you know that cauliflower doesn’t freeze well? That means that I need to eat up everything the CSA delivers. With cherry tomatoes and cucumber (the latter was my add), Cauliflower Tabouleh is a CSA member’s dream!
Cauliflower Tabouleh Closeup
Cauliflower Tabouleh
Ingredients
- 1 medium head white cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (a few sprigs)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 onion or 6-8 scallions, ideally red
- 20-30 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cucumber, thickly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 t salt
For “spicier” tabouleh, add the following:
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon cumin (opt)
- 1 teaspoon coriander (opt)
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice (opt)
Directions
1. Cut the cauliflower to remove the stem and chop into pieces small enough to fit into your food processor.
2. Place the cauliflower, parsley, onion and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower pieces are the size of a grain (like bulgur).
Parsly, Scallions & Garlic
3. Add cherry tomato halves and cucumber slices. Process until they are “chunky”
Add Tomatoes & Cucmbers to Crumbly Mix
4. Add the remaining (dressing) ingredients and toss to mix. Serve chilled or room temperature. Store covered in the fridge for up to one week.
No Kitchens Were Heated in the Making of this Dinner
Another herb that tabouleh often contains is chopped mint. While I love mint in sweets, I am not its biggest fan in salads, but if you are, consider adding it back in!
Hi Inger. This is beautiful and sounds like it will be delicious!
Thanks Freeda. And hopefully it helps me beat the heat coming up!
What an innovative way to make tabouleh gluten free!
And low calorie… and healthier… and good at using CSA veggies… and no-cook. I just wish I could take credit for it
I love tabouleh. This looks like a great version for those of us who are gluten free. Now, if my cucumbers would just start growing……..
The original recipe didn’t have cucumbers so, although I think they add a lot, they can be left out in a pinch. This is certainly an unusual growing season in many places; I can’t believe how much I am needing to water.
great option for cauliflower! must try this with my next batch
Come and link up to this week’s party…http://inherchucks.com/2012/07/11/whats-in-the-box-34/. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Will definitely make this part of your link party. I thought of that right away when I made it!
Awesome! Looking forward to having you
How bright and cheery!
I was so happy to find this recipe!
Oh this looks absolutely delicious! A great new version for me to try, I love cauliflower, especially raw in salads. Thank you!
I know that you aren’t having summer heat issues, but with our record highs, I was especially excited about the “raw” part!
Oh my goodness, Inger. Your Cauliflower Tabouleh looks so delicious I can hardly stand it! I didn’t know cauliflower didn’t freeze well. I’m pretty sure I’ve frozen it successfully in the past. But, it was a long time ago if I did and my memory surely isn’t what it use to be, lol…
Thank you so much for sharing…
Well it was at your picnic where I found this, so thanks for hosting another great event!
I do remember the picnic though:) I too discovered a few new dishes. Thanks Inger:)
Bookmarking this one! We are constantly looking for more raw dishes and those that don’t heat up the kitchen. Can’t wait for the cauli to arrive.
This year we’ve been able to say “it’s a dry heat” even in Wisconsin. Definitely stocking up on my no cook recipes! Have you ever looked at Pinterest for recipe collecting? That’s where I’m saving some of the things I plan to try…
This tabouleh is so bookmarked, it looks gorgeous
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks! Have you used Pinterest at all? I am using that now to keep track of the recipes I want to try and it is working very well.
I haven’t gotten cauliflower yet in my farm share box, but when I do I would love to try this recipe – sounds delish! so creative! thanks for sharing!
I love novel summer veggie salads and was excited when I found this myself!
What a clever way to use cauliflower!
Thanks!
That looks great! It works well for me, the vegan, and my son who is gluten intolerant. And would be a fabulous salad for me to eat off of for a few days. Yum.
I just made it again. It’s a great option to have around and add a scoop to a meal!
i’ve NEVER seen cauliflower transformed like this–what a marvelous creation! i would definitely add all the spices you’ve suggested, inger–well done!
Thanks Grace! It can be so challenging to eat your veggies when it’s hot, so I really believe in veggie salads.
This looks like a perfect recipe for us! I wouldn’t have thought about cauliflower and tabouleh together.
Actually here the cauliflower is a substitute for the tabouleh (which makes it gluten free)–but I imagine you could combine them deliciously!
I guess I should have worded my sentence better, Inger. (Gosh, type too darn fast!) I meant I wouldn’t have thought about cauliflower making a tabouleh dish. You are a genius!
Alas, this isn’t an original for me. But I agree that it is a most creative salad!