Citric Acid Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This grain-free spin on a classic Middle Eastern salad swaps bulgur for finely riced cauliflower, giving you all the fresh, herby satisfaction without any wheat or processed additives. The key is pulsing the florets just right — couscous-sized pieces that soak up the bright lemon and olive oil dressing without turning mushy. A generous heap of flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint does the heavy lifting here, delivering that signature tabbouleh fragrance in every bite. Cucumber and seeded Roma tomatoes add cool crunch, while scallion greens keep the flavor light and clean. The dressing leans on fresh-squeezed lemon juice rather than any bottled citric acid product, which makes it a genuinely safe choice for anyone avoiding that additive in its processed form. A pinch of cumin and turmeric rounds everything out with a warm, earthy depth that feels a little unexpected and completely welcome. Finish it with a scatter of pomegranate arils if you have them — the little burst of sweetness against all that green is absolutely worth it.
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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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