Paraben Free Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This vibrant, herb-forward salad is everything you want in a warm-weather dish — bright, fresh, and packed with color from the first toss to the last bite. Riced cauliflower stands in for bulgur wheat, soaking up a zippy lemon and olive oil dressing spiked with cumin and turmeric for a subtle warmth that makes the whole bowl sing. The key to getting it right is squeezing out as much moisture as possible from the cauliflower before combining, which keeps the texture light and the flavors clean rather than watery. Heaps of flat-leaf parsley, fresh mint, crisp cucumber, and juicy Roma tomatoes bring that classic tabbouleh spirit without any grain in sight. A scatter of pomegranate arils at the end adds a jewel-like pop of sweetness that takes it from simple side to something genuinely stunning. Every ingredient here is whole, recognizable, and straightforward — no processed additives, no preservatives, nothing that requires label-reading anxiety at the grocery store. It works beautifully as a light lunch on its own or alongside grilled proteins, and it only gets better as it sits and the flavors meld together.
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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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