Cauliflower Tabouleh Grain-Free
You can adjust the ingredients in this tabouleh by adding scallion, lemon or parsley to your liking.
When we lived in Cleveland we frequented a small restaurant near the West Side Market called Nate’s Deli. They served the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had, even to this day. The woman who was the main cooked reminded me of anyone’s grandmother, dedicated to producing each dish with perfect consistency. I loved the tabouleh, the texture and fragrance of the fresh parsley and citrusy bite of the sumac and lemon were mouth-watering. Recreating this dish as a grain-free option was not too challenging because, as long as the
ingredients are fresh, you can’t mess it up. To give the cauliflower rice a similar texture to the bulgur wheat, I “dry” it in a skillet. I don’t love using raw cauliflower in this dish, it gets too “cabbage-y” while the frozen, thawed and dried, have a milder flavor. The walnuts help to recreate the bulgur-type texture. If you don’t have a Middle-East market nearby, you can leave out the sumac and just add more lemon. Definitely season this salad to your liking by adding more scallion, sun-dried tomatoes and so on.
It’s delicious topped with tuna for a protein-packed lunch, or served on the side with Street Food Style Chicken Souvlaki..
Cauliflower Tabouleh
Ingredients
Method
- First, "dry" the cauliflower rice. This technique makes all the difference when using frozen cauliflower and I highly recommend it for any time you're using frozen. Place in a skillet on medium heat with no oil, let the moisture evaporate, stirring occasionally until the grains are fluffy and fall like snow when dropped from a spoon. Takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer to a bowl and cool completely by placing the bowl over another bowl filled with ice. This stops the cooking process and keeps the texture firm.
- While the cauliflower rice is cooling, remove the thick stems from the parsley bunch. (Don't worry about the thinner stems, as they will chop up with the leaves.)
- Place the walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to small pieces. Add the parsley and pulse until combined, nuts are a finer grain and leaves are small bits. Do not over-process or the parsley will release its oil and become liquid.
- Stir the parsley mixture into the cooled cauliflower rice. Add the diced scallion and cucumber. Dice the sun-dried tomatoes and add. (They will rehydrate as the salad macerates from the moisture in the oil).
- Squeeze the fresh lemon and olive oil, sumac if using, salt and pepper. If not using sumac, adjust with more lemon juice. Allowing it to macerate in the refrigerator at least 1 to 2 hours before serving.
