Last week a fellow blogger and friend, Lindsey from Soul Food Living, and I set out to create some new recipes using cauliflower – Cauliflower Couscous Salad, and Cauliflower Pizza Crust. With two cauliflower heads in hand and ideas for a few recipes, we experimented until we came up with something fabulous. After testing and sampling, we came up with two delicious recipes, proving my kitchen mantra that having good company in the kitchen is always the best way to be creative. Today I’m sharing a recipe for the Cauliflower “Couscous” Greek Salad. Though there’s no couscous involved, the cauliflower acts as a tiny grain after being pulsed in a food processor; it’s look and texture is almost exactly like that of couscous.
The ingredients for this salad were all found at Liberty Heights Fresh, a great local source for seasonal ingredients! Also, the recipe for this salad was inspired by a cookbook called, The Naked Foods Cookbook.
Lindsay and I had both seen several folks lately experimenting with cauliflower similarly, some substituting it for rice and others for crusts and crumb toppings. She had even made a cauliflower fried rice while I recently tried making cauliflower mac n’cheese. Lucky for us, both of our husbands also enjoy cauliflower!
As we started our cooking and creating our conversation diverted from cauliflower, interesting as the vegetable is, to so many other amazing topics. We talked about adoption in foreign cultures, and how she spent a year in Tanzania working at an orphanage. We chatted about nutrition and how important it is during pregnancy, which lead to both of our intrigue into midwifery and the work of dulas. As our hands were at work, we had no shortage of topics to cover. The hours passed quickly and soon enough we found ourselves with successful creations and hungry bellies, so we sat down to enjoy our creations.
This salad is light and fresh and will be wonderful to enjoy throughout the entire spring cauliflower season. I imagine it would be lovely using a purple cauliflower or making a little twist in the recipe for several varieties of salads like Cauliflower Cobb Salad or Cauliflower Caesar Salad. Another recipe with endless possibilities.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1 cup parsley
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 cucumber, cubed
- 1 red bell pepper, cubed
- 1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved and pitted
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Break the cauliflower into big chunks and put into a food processor along with basil, mint, parsley and garlic. Pulse several times until minced. The cauliflower will have a granular texture - much like couscous. Set the cauliflower aside in a big bowl.
- Add cucumber, bell pepper, and sun dried tomatoes to the cauliflower.
- Chop the romaine lettuce and place in a big salad bowl. Top with the cauliflower mixture just before serving and mix thoroughly.
- Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and cumin. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to mix thoroughly. (The lettuce may wilt once you add the dressing and cauliflower so don't toss until just about to eat.)
- Sprinkle with olives, pine nuts, feta cheese, and red onions.
Notes
Pulsing cauliflower in a food processor will give the cauliflower a granular-like texture, similar to that of couscous.
I cannot WAIT to try this. It looks amazing, and I wouldn’t even feel bad finishing the whole bowl myself! YUM!
I am definitely making this tonight. I am looking forward to this!! I love that the ingredients are fresh and healthy and that it takes almost no time to put together.
I love everything about this salad; good work!
Wow this looks delicious and the pictures are stunning!
This looks and sounds delicious. I love cauliflower and can’t wait to be more creative with it. Thanks for the inspiration.
I’ve pinned this for (hopefully) many future garden parties! Imagine this as the side dish to some barbecued chicken, oh wow. It’s a bit like a tabbouleh salad though – dare I say this – your version sounds more interesting!
GENIUS! I just made a couscous Greek salad only with quinoa. I am loving this!
I love this! It looks so fresh and full of goodness. I’m so ready for lighter summer eating.
This also looks like they’d make good pizza toppings! Just saying…. Have you tried mashed cauliflower? It’s like mashed potato. It’s soooo good!
I’ll have to try mashed cauliflower soon. Lets have a cooking date soon!
Brilliant!!! I cannot wait to make this.
I’ve made this multiple times since we tested this recipe. It is amazing, and I LOVE it in a wrap with hummus the next day!
Great idea. I’ll have to use it inside wraps next time! I have a head of cauliflower just waiting for this recipe right now!
just made this, was lovely indeed, thank you-added chilli!
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to try adding chili next time
Yum! Thanks! I shared on my blog – I’m a fitness trainer and my clients are all in a frenzy to de-winterize their diets. This is a great one to get them going and wean off the winter heavies…
Wonderful!! Glad I could contribute.