Cauliflower Tabouleh

I can’t wait for you to try this easy and delicious Cauliflower Tabouleh Salad. It only takes 20 minutes to whip up this yummy salad with Mediterranean flavours. Traditional tabouleh is made with Bulgar, which is a (terrible) tasting grain. We’ve swapped the Bulgar for riced cauliflower to serve as a healthy, gluten free, grain free base for this salad. Capers, sundried tomatoes, mint, parsley and a lemon vinaigrette with a little bit of garlic and cumin are paired with the cauliflower to give this salad tremendous flavour. 

I’ve included easy instructions for how to rice a cauliflower with a blender. Don’t bother getting out your food processor. My blender method is so easy and is less messy than every other method I’ve seen out there. If you only have frozen riced cauliflower, be sure to cook it first or this salad won’t work.  

This salad is a little bit crunchy (from the cauliflower), a little bit salty (the capers), and a little bit tangy (the vinaigrette). It’s the perfect blend of flavours. Serve with a protein for a complete meal. 

This simple salad is light, bright, healthy and full of good-for-you ingredients.

Gluten free, grain free, nut free, dairy free. We ate this salad cold but it would taste good if sauteed in a pan too.

If you love salads, check out some of my other salad recipes:

Shredded Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Egg

 Cucumber Feta & Dill Salad

The Jennifer Aniston Salad

Chicken Fajita Salad with a Chili Lime Sauce

Moroccan Lentil Salad

Big Fall Salad with Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Kale

Quinoa Egg Salad

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Lime

What do you need for this Cauliflower Tabouleh Salad

• For the Dressing

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

  For the Salad

  • 1 head cauliflower riced (4 cups)
  • 1/3 cup capers drained
  • 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1/2 cup mint

Cauliflower is a nutritional powerhouse…here’s 1 reason why

Everybody knows cauliflower is good for you. People either love it or hate it.  Cauliflower is nutrient dense and offer a host of health benefits to those who regularly eat it.

Cauliflower is most known for being rich in indole-3-carbinol (IC3). IC3 is a substance found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, Brussel sprouts, turnips, and rutabagas. It offers protection from cancer by way of helping the body metabolize (break down) estrogen to favorable estrogen metabolites.

To be clear, estrogen is a wonderful and beneficial hormone that aids in normal cell function and growth. It protects our bones, promotes healthy pregnancies and aids in cognition. But estrogen imbalance or excess estrogen is a common issue that can lead to a cascade of undesirable symptoms and serious health problems.

When your body no longer needs estrogen, it is the job of the liver to break it down, so it can be excreted in the stool or urine. Without getting too science-y on you, the liver breaks down estrogen to 3 different metabolites. One type is considered “favourable” and two types are considered “unfavourable” that are associated with growth of breast and uterine tissue, including cancer. Cruciferous vegetables have been shown to help estrogen break down to the favourable type of estrogen. IC3 has been shown to do other things too, like induce cell death of cancer cells, inhibit tumour growth, upregulate other enzymes that promote cell death, activate anti-inflammatory pathways and tumour suppressor genes. Who knew cauliflower had such super-powers!

People of all genders need to be concerned about the effects of estrogen on the body as we are all environmentally exposed to estrogen (think plastics, food, water supply, etc). Also, all fat cells produce estrogen. In short, it matters how your liver deals with estrogen and cauliflower can help it get the job done properly!

Now that you know more about IC3 than you ever thought you needed to know, I’m going to share with you a delicious  Cauliflower Tabouleh Salad. This recipe will adequately serve 8 people. 

Now let’s get on with the recipe!

How to Store Leftover Cauliflower Tabouleh Salad

Store leftover salad in an airtight glass containers. Refrigerate. Eat within 5 days. Serve warm or cold. 

Do not freeze.

I’m a doctor of chiropractic, with a special interest in nutrition. I am passionate about healthy eating and using food to heal thyself. Food should be made in a kitchen not a factory. I believe in eating whole foods, keeping processed foods to a minimum. It is my goal to show you that eating healthy and cooking at home can be simple and very rewarding! All of my recipes are gluten-free. Some are ketogenic or paleo friendly.

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