Carrageenan Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This bright, herb-forward dish takes everything you love about classic tabbouleh and builds it around riced cauliflower instead of bulgur, making it naturally free from the additives and thickeners — including carrageenan — that sneak into so many packaged grain blends and store-bought salads. The cauliflower gets pulsed in a food processor until it mimics the fine, couscous-like texture of traditional grain, then salted and pressed to remove excess moisture so the final bowl stays fresh and never soggy. A generous handful of flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint keeps things vibrantly green, while diced cucumber and seeded Roma tomatoes add crunch and juicy brightness in every bite. The dressing is a simple whisk of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and turmeric — whole, recognizable ingredients with nothing hidden. A short rest before serving lets the cauliflower soak up all that lemony, spiced dressing, deepening the flavor without any extra effort. Finish with a scatter of pomegranate arils for a pop of sweetness and color that makes this feel genuinely special. It's the kind of clean, crowd-pleasing salad that earns a permanent spot in your weeknight rotation.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 small head cauliflower (about 1 ½ lb), cut into florets
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 english cucumber, finely diced
- 2 medium roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
- 3 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
For serving
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Working in two batches, pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor until broken down into pieces roughly the size of couscous, about 8–10 short pulses per batch. Do not over-process — stop when the pieces are uniform and no large chunks remain.
- 2
Transfer the riced cauliflower to a fine-mesh strainer or a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt, toss to combine, and let it drain for 10 minutes, then press or squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
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