Lactose Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
Bright, herby, and packed with fresh vegetables, this cauliflower tabbouleh is the kind of dish that looks stunning on the table and tastes even better than it looks. Traditional tabbouleh relies on bulgur wheat, but here riced cauliflower steps in beautifully — absorbing the lemony, cumin-spiced dressing while keeping every bite light and vibrant. The trick to getting the texture just right is a quick salt-and-drain step after processing, which pulls out excess moisture so the finished salad stays fresh rather than watery. Every single ingredient in this recipe is naturally free of dairy, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-reading required — just straightforward, feel-good cooking. Generous handfuls of flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint do the heavy lifting on flavor, while crisp cucumber, juicy Roma tomatoes, and sliced scallion greens add color and crunch in every forkful. A finishing scatter of pomegranate arils is optional but highly recommended — the little jewel-like bursts of sweetness make the whole bowl feel genuinely special. This one works equally well as a light lunch on its own or as a refreshing side alongside grilled proteins or falafel.
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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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