Fresh, herby, and bright, Cauliflower Tabbouleh is a grain-free, gluten-free take on the classic Middle Eastern salad, with riced cauliflower soaking up a lemony dressing, plus toasted pine nuts and juicy pops of pomegranate. It's ready for the fridge in 10 minutes!
Just like my Lentil Tabbouleh Salad, this salad is light yet satisfying, perfect as a side, a mezze spread, or a make-ahead salad that only gets better as it sits. It's also great for guests!
While cauliflower pulls off heartier roles, like in my Roasted Cauliflower Tacos with Romesco Sauce or cozy Vegan Cauliflower Corn Chowder, when riced, cauliflower soaks up flavor while staying light and fresh, making it perfect for tabbouleh.
This cauliflower tabouli is my at-home love letter to a restaurant version I had once. It's the same fresh, zippy vibe, the same herb-forward punch, and the same "how is this so simple and so good?" energy, minus the restaurant bill. Let me know what you think in the comments.
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Why This Recipe Is Worth Making
- Grain-free and gluten-free but still hearty and satisfying
- Minimal cooking required - just toasting the pine nuts
- Can be made in advance and comes together quickly
- Perfect as a side, mezze dish, or light lunch
- Great for gatherings
Make It Your Own
- Fold in finely diced cucumber for extra freshness and crunch.
- Add diced avocado just before serving for a creamy contrast. Best eaten right away.
- Add chopped Kalamata olives.
Shopping List
Use fresh lemon juice. Bottled won't give you that bright, zippy flavor.
Sumac gives a lemony, slightly tangy flavor that really makes this dish shine. If you don't have it, add extra lemon juice or add a variation like cumin.
Fresh cauliflower replaces bulgar in traditional tabouli. Either riced at home in a food processor or store-bought. I don't recommend frozen cauliflower, since it tends to become mushy and watery.
See the recipe card for quantities and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Cauliflower Tabbouleh
Step 1: Finely chop the cherry tomatoes and slice the green onions. Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Step 2: Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
Step 3: Add the cauliflower florets, parsley, and mint to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and grain-like, being careful not to overprocess. You may want to process the cauliflower and the herbs separately.
Step 4: Transfer the cauliflower mixture to a large bowl. Add the chopped tomatoes, green onions, toasted pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, salt, and black pepper, then toss gently until well combined. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then serve.
Good To Know Tips
- The biggest mistake is overprocessing the cauliflower. Stop pulsing as soon as it looks grain-like. Since it is raw, we want it finely chopped so it softens in the salad.
- Chop the ingredients finely. Tabbouleh is all about herbs, and smaller pieces mean better flavor in every bite, so I recommend using a food processor. If desired, finely chop by hand.
- After washing/rinsing the cauliflower, dry well so the salad is light and fluffy, not soggy.
- Let it rest before serving. A short rest in the fridge gives the flavors time to meld and taste even better.
Let's Eat!
- Serve the cauliflower tabbouleh with warm pita, pita chips, corn chips, flatbread, or crisp veggies like cucumber slices and endive leaves for easy scooping.
- Serve as part of a mezze spread with Cucumber Hummus or Basil Hummus Recipe, baba ghanoush, olives, and warm pita.
- Spoon it alongside Sheet Pan Oven Roasted Vegetables or roasted cauliflower for an easy, fresh side.
- Pile it onto a bed of arugula or mixed greens or, my favorite, on top of avocado toast for a light lunch.
- Use it as a bright topping for Falafel Pita Sandwich, flatbreads, or stuffed pitas.
Cauliflower Tabbouleh FAQS
Yes. This salad actually gets better after it sits. You can make it a few hours ahead or up to a day in advance. Store it in the fridge, covered, and give it a quick toss before serving.
It will keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Recipe Card
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower head trimmed; ~ 420 grams of florets
- 1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems ~60 grams
- ½ cup fresh mint ~20 grams
- 3 scallions thinly sliced ~35 grams
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced ~ 120 grams
- ⅔ cup pomegranate seeds 120 grams
- ¼ cup pine nuts lightly toasted ~ 45 grams
Dressing
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ - 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- fresh black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon sumac optional
Instructions
- Prep the pine nuts: Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from the pan immediately and set aside to cool.
- Prep the herbs & mix-ins: Finely chop the parsley and mint in the food processor or by hand.* Thinly slice the scallions. Dice the tomatoes small.
- Rice the cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into florets and pulse in a food processor until it looks like couscous. Stop before it turns mushy.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the riced cauliflower, parsley, mint, scallions, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, and toasted pine nuts.
- Dress & toss: Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and sumac and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Rest & taste: Refrigerate for 30 minutes or more so the flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, or sumac as needed.
- Serve: Serve chilled with an extra sprinkle of sumac, if desired. Serve the cauliflower tabbouleh with corn chips, warm pita, pita chips, flatbread, or crisp veggies like cucumber slices or endive leaves for easy scooping.
Regi Pearce says
Cauliflower stands in for the grain here, and it works surprisingly well. Fresh herbs do the heavy lifting. I love eating this for a light lunch on top of avocado toast.