Gelatin Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This vibrant, herb-forward salad swaps traditional bulgur for finely riced cauliflower, making it a naturally fresh and grain-free take on a beloved Middle Eastern classic. The food processor does the heavy lifting, breaking the florets down into tender, couscous-sized pieces that soak up every drop of the bright lemon and cumin dressing. Salting and pressing the riced cauliflower before tossing is the key move here — it pulls out excess moisture so the finished dish stays light and never watery. Heaps of flat-leaf parsley, fresh mint, crisp cucumber, and juicy Roma tomatoes bring the color and crunch that make this salad genuinely exciting to eat. A whisked dressing of extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and turmeric ties everything together with a warm, citrusy depth that feels anything but plain. If you have pomegranate arils on hand, scatter them over the top — they add little bursts of sweetness that take the whole bowl to another level. Every ingredient here is straightforwardly plant-based and whole, so there's nothing hidden to second-guess, just clean, punchy flavors you'll want to make on repeat.
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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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