Cauliflower Tabouleh
Level
Easy
Time
20 Min
Serves
8
Published May 7, 2024 by Dr. Stephanie Gray, DC
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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
Chicken Fajita Salad with a Chili Lime Sauce
Big Fall Salad with Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Kale
Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Lime
What do you need for this Cauliflower Tabouleh Salad
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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.
Cauliflower Tabouleh
Equipment
-
1 large salad bowl
-
1 mason jar with lid
-
1 blender for ricing cauliflower
Ingredients
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 (4 cups) riced * see instructions for method
- 1/3 cup capers drained
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes in thin slices
- 1 cup parsley large stems removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup mint large stems removed and chopped
Instructions
To make the Salad Dressing
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In a mason jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Secure with lid and shake to mix.
To Rice Cauliflower
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Put cauliflower florets in a blender. Fill the blender to cover the cauliflower (no more than 3/4 full). Pulse until cauliflower is the size of rice. Number of pulses varies depending on the blender.
-
Using a colander, drain water from riced cauliflower.
To make the Salad
-
In a large salad bowl, add riced cauliflower, capers, sundried tomatoes, parsley and mint.
-
Pour salad dressing over the salad and mix.
Notes
Substitutions:
Substitute black olives for capers.
Substitute 1 cup of fresh cherry tomatoes for sundried tomatoes.
Substitute fresh basil for mint.
Nutrition
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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