Cauliflower Tabbouleh

Ahhhh, Pinterest. The source of many great ideas and lots of yummy food. Or at least Lea, my Sous Chef thinks so... You may be more like me, dipping into the pictures and quickly scanning the feed for a little eye candy once in a while. But Lea, she's obsessed. She spends time each day looking for just the right accessory, recipe of food styling tip. I see her repins each time I log on, typically to pin the Friday Four, Meatless Monday or Spicy Tuesday picture. The cauliflower tabbouleh this week? Thanks to Lea who passed on the idea of a tabbouleh full of flavor, but not fat or carbs.

I must admit I was a little skeptical before trying to recreate it in my kitchen. I love my traditional tabbouleh recipe, cooking the bulgur wheat in tomato juice for more flavor and a beautiful red color. (Thanks to my sister for that great idea!) However, I'm always game for new inspiration, especially if it means I can eat and serve it to others happily. The recipe below is the result of the cauliflower experiment. Boy, is it good. Keeps well in the fridge and just keeps getting more flavorful the next day or two. Oh! It makes a good pita pocket for lunch, too.

We've learned lots about making this tabbouleh this week. Couple of tips to pass on to you. First, don't put the whole head of cauliflower, or all the florets in your food processor at once. Cauliflower has lots of liquid in it, (Who knew?), and the veg at the bottom of the bowl will turn soupy if you load the processor up. Pulse your cauliflower in a least 2 batches, making a rough, coarse meal out of it. Think about the texture and size of bulgur wheat for your guide.

You'll also want to seed your tomatoes, to reduce the liquid in the finished dish. The best tool for seeding tomatoes? Your very clean thumb. Cut your tomato in half and run your thumb through the channels where the seeds live. This will intensify the tomato flavor, and your tabbouleh will not be watery.

Have fun with this recipe - we have!

Cauliflower Tabbouleh

1 Head Cauliflower (or 2 bags florets)

2 Large Tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 Cup Chopped Parsley

¼ Cup Chopped Mint

1 TB Lemon Juice 

2 TB Lemon Zest

¼ Cup EVOO

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

 Pulse the cauliflower florets in a food processor, or chop them by hand, until they are small bits resembling grains. Toss with chopped tomatoes, chopped parsley and mint, lemon juice, zest and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.