Oats Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This vibrant, herb-forward salad takes everything you love about classic tabbouleh and builds it around riced cauliflower instead of the usual grain base — making it a naturally brilliant fit for anyone avoiding oats or other grains without sacrificing a single bit of the dish's soul. The cauliflower gets pulsed in a food processor until it mimics the texture of couscous, then drained thoroughly so the final salad stays light and fresh rather than watery or dense. A generous heap of flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint does the heavy lifting here, delivering that signature bright, grassy flavor the dish is known for. The dressing — lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, and a touch of turmeric — ties everything together with a warm, citrusy backbone that makes each forkful genuinely craveable. Crisp cucumber, juicy Roma tomatoes, and sliced scallion greens add color and crunch, while optional pomegranate arils bring a jewel-like pop of sweetness if you want to dress it up. Every single ingredient is whole and unprocessed, so there's no need to scrutinize labels for hidden grain-based fillers or thickeners. It's the kind of salad that works as a light lunch, a stunning side dish, or something you make on Sunday and happily eat straight from the bowl all week.
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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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