Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is one of my favorite dishes.  I used to make it all the time because it is easy, fresh, and tastes delicious either hot or cold.  Tabbouleh is a salad consisting of Bulgar (cracked wheat), lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, diced veggies, and herbs.  I've been craving it now that the weather is hot.  However, I have been trying hard to find grain alternatives the past few months.  Sometimes, this means that I have to forgo some of my favorite foods...but sometimes, I discover an alternative that is even better (or at least as good) than the original!  In this case, I used cauliflower bits in place of Bulgar with great success.

I've been experimenting with cauliflower as an alternative to rice.  I have found that it is just the size and texture that I'm looking for.  Plus, I have found it easier to prep than rice!  There are two ways of preparation that I've tried: raw and quickly blanched.  For the raw cauliflower prep, I just wash and cut the cauliflower into florets, then quickly pulse it in a food processor until it is the size of rice.  I prefer the raw version in Tabbouleh because the texture is crunchier.  If you want a softer version of cauliflower rice, you can quickly blanch the cauliflower bits in boiling, salted water for about 1 minute.  This preparation is better for hot dishes, though it would be good if you want your Tabbouleh to be a warm side salad.

As you can see from the recipe below, there are many ingredients that you can add to make your salad even more amazing.  My version is relatively simple.  When I make it next time, I will add more veggies!

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

1 head cauliflower

1/4 cup (give or take) good quality olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup black olives, chopped

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

large handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Other Delicious Additions:

1/2 cup fresh or roasted red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup cucumber, diced

1 cup fresh tomato, seeded and diced

fresh mint, chopped

sweet or smoked paprika

Raw Preperation:

1. Wash cauliflower and cut into florets (about 1" large dice...otherwise they will be too big to process).  Add florets into a food processor and pulse until cauliflower is in rice-sized bits.  Pour into a large bowl.

2. Add lemon juice, olives, green onion, garlic, and parsely into cauliflower and toss to combine.  Pour enough olive oil in to coat all ingredients (this will be about 1/4 cup, but I would recommend pouring in a little bit at a time until you're happy with the taste).  Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Serve cold.  Can be kept in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Hot Preperation:

1. Wash cauliflower and cut into florets (about 1" large dice...otherwise they will be too big to process).  Add florets into a food processor and pulse until cauliflower is in rice-sized bits.

2. In a large pot of boiling, salted (like the ocean) water, add in cauliflower bits and blanch for about 1 min or until softened.  Drain immediately and set aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil (about 2-4 TB) on medium heat .  Add in green onion, olives, garlic, and parsley.  Stir until warmed.  Add in cauliflower and toss to combine.  Pour in lemon juice.  Stir until all ingredients are warmed through, about 2-3 minutes.  Do not overcook or brown.  Taste and season with salt or pepper as needed.

4. Serve immediately.  Can be cooled and kept in the fridge for about 5 days.

This also makes a great garnish for eggy breakfast!

ENJOY! :)