Cauliflower is everywhere! You may have seen it riced, mashed, buffaloed, sliced as a ‘steak’ and transformed into a crust. Cauliflower is the new ‘it’ veg for not only vegetarians and vegans alike, but also for anyone following the keto diet. It adds creaminess without dairy and its texture replaces flour in some recipes and the need for pasta in others.
This white cruciferous cousin of broccoli has always been one of my favorites, but I only ate it on the side of something else; I had no idea of its versatility of being a standalone entree. After a trip to Trader Joe’s, I found a cauliflower tabbouleh that was tasty, but a little on the oily side. For week two of salad month, cue my favorite tabbouleh recipe with a brand new twist…
My traditional recipe using bulgur wheat can be found here. This updated version replaces the bulgur—either completely or 50%—with finely chopped, raw cauliflower. New, improved, and extra-crunchy: it’s a salad that is a meal in and of itself, perfect for a picnic or pot-luck, and definitely the ideal lunch for me.
While my all-time favorite cauliflower preparation is roasted whole with lemon brown butter sauce—recipe here, this new spin on tabbouleh comes in a close second. Whether you prefer it grilled, roasted, mashed, riced, or ‘tabbouleh-ed’, cauliflower is the new all-purpose vegetable that’s garnering lots of attention. What’s your favorite?
See you next week!
CAULIFLOWER TABBOULEH
This crunchy, fresh spin on the traditional tabbouleh will keep for up to four days in the fridge.
1 head of cauliflower, finely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
3 scallions, white parts only, sliced thinly OR 2 shallots, minced
Juice of one lemon
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, optional
1/2 English seedless cucumber or zucchini, diced
1/3 cup sliced black olives, optional
2 Tablespoons mint, finely chopped, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Crackers or 2 pita pockets for serving
In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients and mix well.
Serve with crackers on the side, or stuffed into a pita pocket.
Serves 4.
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