Nutmeg Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This vibrant, herb-forward salad swaps traditional bulgur for finely riced cauliflower, making it a lighter, grain-free take on a classic Middle Eastern dish that still delivers every bit of the freshness you're after. The key is pulsing the cauliflower in a food processor until it mimics the texture of couscous, then pressing out the excess moisture so the final bowl stays bright and never soggy. A generous tangle of flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint does the heavy lifting here, while crisp cucumber, juicy Roma tomatoes, and sliced scallion greens add color and crunch in every forkful. The dressing is simple but smart — olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and a touch of turmeric give it warmth and depth without relying on any of the spice-blend shortcuts that can sneak in unwanted ingredients. Everything in this recipe is straightforward and easy to verify, so you can build the bowl with total confidence about what's going into it. A handful of pomegranate arils scattered over the top at the end is optional, but the little bursts of sweetness against all that herby brightness are genuinely worth it. This is the kind of dish that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did.
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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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