I was hesitant to make this recipe at first because I’m not usually a fan of replacing foods with cauliflower. It’s not rice people!
So instead, I consider it a vegetable salad that just happens to have cauliflower. It’s delicious, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly, and it can be swapped in places where you might eat tabouli.
If you’ve never had tabouli, it’s a a Middle Eastern salad that is made with bulgur wheat and lots of fresh chopped parsley. There are some other things in there, like lemon and garlic, and fresh chopped tomatoes. This version strays a bit from the traditional, not just because of the cauliflower swap, but also because the dressing is made of Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil and Ava Jane’s Kitchen Everyday Blend seasoning mix. This mix is a good all-purpose seasoning, so for things like salads, it’s perfect.
I used a food processor to get the finely chopped texture that’s typically favored in this dish, but it can be chopped by hand as well.
This salad is good with hummus and pita, or for a lower carb option can be eaten with roasted meat or fish. It’s a different kind of salad than you might be used to, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be delicious.
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Salad:
1 head cauliflower, processed into rice
1 tablespoon Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch mint, finely chopped
1 tomato, diced
Dressing:
3 tablespoons Ava Jane’s Kitchen Avocado Oil
1 teaspoon Ava Jane’s Kitchen Everyday spice blend
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
Saute the cauliflower rice in the avocado oil until just tender. Add to a bowl and allow to cool. Add the remaining ingredients.
Make the dressing by adding the ingredients to a jar and shaking until combined. Toss with the salad.
Chill until ready to serve.
Easy to download PDF: Cauliflower Tabouli
Just a question: I think I would love this dish – I do love cauliflower – but what is the easiest way to turn a head of cauliflower into tabouli-type rice?
Hi Barbara- I would recommend a food processor or if you don’t have one, a cheese grater does the trick!
Hi Barbara,
The easiest way to do that is to use a food processor if you have one. It takes seconds — just pulse a few times and you’re done! You can also grate it on a box grater or just buy pre-riced cauliflower.
try a cheese grater in a plastic container in the kitchen sink.
This is genius! I can’t wait to try it. Why didn’t I think of this before?
Thank you