Cauliflower Tabbouleh is a lighter take on traditional Tabbouleh using cauliflower rice in place of the bulgur wheat to give it extra crunch and texture. This salad is light, fresh and the perfect spring and summer side dish to bring to a picnic or BBQ.
Tabbouleh is one of my all-time favorite salads that I have eaten since I was a child.
My grandma makes the best Tabbouleh of any that I have tried and this is the Tabbouleh recipe.
Sometimes I like to take classic tabbouleh and put a spin on it and use cauliflower rice like in this Cauliflower Tabbouleh.
I also have this Kale Cucumber Tabbouleh which is another fun way to make it. Cauliflower Tabbouleh is one of my favorites because of the crunchy cauliflower rice.
If you grow tomatoes in the summer this is a great way to use them up. I also love using fresh mint and curly parsley from my garden.
For today’s recipe you can either create your own cauliflower rice in a food processor or you can save yourself time and buy cauliflower rice at the grocery store. That makes this salad prep even easier!
If you haven’t tried cauliflower rice or using it in a variety of dishes you have to try it. It is a great low-carb, gluten-free option for those that might be allergic or watching their carbs.
I love using it in dishes like this Mediterranean Chickpea Cauliflower Salad and this Spanish Cauliflower Rice.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cauliflower Rice: I used about 3 to 4 cups of cauliflower rice. You can use either a 16 ounce bag that you can often find in the produce section or even the frozen section of your store or you can take 1 medium sized cauliflower and grate it into cauliflower rice or you can use a good processor.
- Herbs: The herbs in tabbouleh are fresh mint and fresh curly parsley. I try to chop it finely to help the parsley remain fluffy and not soggy.
- Tomato: For the diced tomatoes I suggest using fresh tomatoes. Beef steak tomatoes work really well. I take the seeds out when possible to help keep the extra juices to a minimum. You can honestly use any tomatoes you want but try to dice them relatively small.
- Green Onion: This recipe uses the green and white parts of the green onion.
- Lemon Juice: The lemon juice is added into the salad dressing. If you have fresh lemon juice that works best but you also can use store-bought lemon juice if that is all you have.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the best option if you have it. I try to use a good quality olive oil since it is for the salad dressing and holds a lot of the flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves work great in the dressing. You can skip this if you don’t want the garlic in the salad.
How to Make Cauliflower Tabbouleh
This is one of the easiest salads to make. The bulk of the time will be if you are grating your cauliflower yourself. If you buy pre-grated cauliflower that makes it even easier!
Step 1: Prepare the Cauliflower: Remove the green stems from the cauliflower and chop the head in half. Using a box grater or food processor, grate the whole head of cauliflower (one half at a time) unless you bought a bag of pre-made cauliflower rice then skip this step.
Step 2: Mix the Salad Ingredients: Put the cauliflower rice, parsley, tomato, mint and green onion in a large mixing bowl and gently toss.
Step 3: Create the Dressing: In a mason jar or a salad dressing jar mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. Shake or whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Serve or cover and refrigerate.
Ways to Serve Cauliflower Tabbouleh:
Obviously you can just eat this salad on its own for lunch but here are some fun ways to use it in a meal:
- Add it to a Mediterranean rice bowl like this Chicken Shawarma Rice Bowl or these Greek Chicken Rice Bowls.
- Pair it with Mediterranean beef like this Hummus with Spiced Beef, these Beef Kafta Meatballs or this Beef Rice Bowl.
- This salad works really well with seafood. Both are light and fresh. I especially love pairing it with this Baked Cod with Lemon, Black Sea Bass or this Easy Baked Fish.
Ways to Modify Cauliflower Tabbouleh:
- Beans and Legumes: If you want to bulk up this salad and add protein try beans or lentils! I really like adding brown lentils, chickpeas or white beans the most.
- Cheese: Cheese would be a nice addition to this salad. I especially love feta cheese.
- Vegetables: You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. I especially like diced cucumber, carrots or celery.
- Protein: If you want to add some additional protein to the salad I think grilled shish tawook chicken, salmon or beef kafta works great!
Recipe FAQ
If possible this is the best method to help the parsley maintain a light, fluffy consistency. Chop everything finely but not to the point where it becomes mushy. A sharp knife will prevent bruising the herbs and vegetables.
The best tomatoes for tabbouleh are those that are ripe, firm, and not too watery, as they provide the perfect balance of flavor and texture without making the salad soggy. Here are some ideal options: Beef steak tomatoes I really like as long as you can remove the seeds as they can be watery. Roma or plum tomatoes are an excellent choice because they have fewer seeds and less juice, making them less likely to water down the salad. Their firm texture and rich flavor hold up well when diced finely. Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are also a nice option. These are sweet, flavorful, and less watery than some larger varieties. Cut them into small pieces or quarters for the salad.
Let the tabbouleh sit for 15–30 minutes after mixing to allow the flavors to meld. However, don’t make it too far in advance, as it can lose its freshness.
Other Mediterranean Salads you Might Like:
- Lemon Arugula Salad
- Easy Lebanese Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Feta Quinoa Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Salad with Yogurt Dressing
- Mediterranean White Bean Salad
- Mediterranean Eggplant Salad
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups cauliflower rice,, I used a 16 ounce bag of cauliflower rice/grated cauliflower or 1 medium sized cauliflower, grated
- 2 cups chopped curly parsley,, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup diced tomato,, about 3 large beefsteak tomatoes
- 8-10 thinly sliced green onions,, about a bunch-green parts and some of the white parts chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh mint,, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice,, approximately 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves,, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the green stems from the cauliflower and chop the head in half. Using a box grater or food processor, grate the whole head of cauliflower (one half at a time) unless you bought a bag of pre-made cauliflower rice then skip this step.
- Put the cauliflower rice, parsley, tomato, mint and green onion in a large mixing bowl and gently toss.
- In a mason jar or a salad dressing jar mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and a dash of salt and pepper. Shake or whisk to combine.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. If possible let the tabbouleh sit for 15–30 minutes after mixing to allow the flavors to meld. Serve or cover and refrigerate.
Notes
- Other ideas to add to the salad: feta cheese, chickpeas or white beans, zucchini, greens {like kale or spinach}, grilled chicken, grilled salmon or beef kafta.
- This salad holds up pretty well throughout the week if you make a big batch. I will eat it 3 to 4 days later and I think it still tastes great.
- Sometimes I will add a sprinkle of sumac or za’atar to the salad for extra flavor.
