Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
Cauliflower rice tabbouleh — great for serving as a side salad or main dish. A welcome addition to your weeknight dinner rotation. Perfect for anyone looking to add a little more nutrition to their diet!
Sometimes salad dishes can be bland and boring, but I’ve cracked the code, and discovered that simple ingredients used the right way can make vegetables more exciting! Like using cauliflower instead of bulgur or couscous. Plus, there are so many ways you can tweak the ingredients in cauliflower rice tabbouleh to fit any flavor profile!
What is Tabbouleh?
Tabbouleh, tabouli or taboulé in French is a healthy salad recipe that is mouthwatering and undeniably delicious! It is a Middle-Eastern dish mostly made of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur. Seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper and drizzled with lemon juice completes the package.
You’ll also find tabbouleh as a side dish on Mediterranean menus like falafel, hummus, feta, olive… just looking at these words makes my lips smack.
Cauliflower as rice?
On our last Lebanese take away, I opted for tabbouleh as my side dish, and boy was it delicious! But I’m not a big fan of bulgur so I tried to experiment with other ingredients to replace it. With some trials and errors, I’ve finally managed how to make cauliflower have a similar texture to grains and I’m so pleased to share what I’ve learned with you.
Why this salad recipe works
Easy to find ingredients that are readily available or can be bought at groceries near you.
Zero carbs and gluten-free because cauliflower is used instead of bulgur or couscous.
Great side dish for roast chicken, baked salmon or pork chops.
Tips for making the best tabbouleh
A great tabbouleh should be tangy and flavorful, so season it adequately with lemon and salt.
Do not boil or steam the cauliflower. Fry grated cauliflower in olive oil for 5 minutes to avoid making it watery.
The secret ingredient is always LOVE
You may also like:
Lumpiang gulay or spring rolls filled with healthy veggies! Cooked bean sprouts, carrots, green beans, and cabbage in crunchy spring roll wrapper.
Atcharang ampalaya or pickled bitter gourd is a refreshing side to compliment any fried dish. Made of julienned radish, carrots, bell pepper, and bitter gourd.
Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup cauliflower (washed, dried then finely grated)
- ½ tsp powdered garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt (add more if needed)
- 3 tbsp parsley (chopped finely)
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ½ cup cucumber (cubed )
- 7-8 pcs mint leaves (chopped finely)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (add more if needed)
Instructions
- Wash cauliflower then pat dry. Grate cauliflower with the coarse grater disk on a food processor or the medium holes on a box grater until rice-like in texture.
- Transfer cauliflower in a frying pan and drizzle with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt.
- Place in stove top over low heat and stir-cook for 5 minutes.
- Transfer in a mixing bowl and add all other ingredients. Taste and season with more salt and lemon if need.
Notes
- You can make the cauliflower rice a day ahead and store in an airtight container then place inside the refrigerator until ready to use.
