This cauliflower tabbouleh salad recipe is a great take on traditional tabbouleh, which is made with bulgur wheat. This version is loaded with fresh veggies and is super easy to make.

Cauliflower tabbouleh in a white bowl, garnished with mint, lemon and parsley

Why this recipe works

Cauliflower's texture and neutral flavor make it a good substitute for bulghur wheat, and it's a good option for people who adhere to grain- or gluten-free diets.
This cauliflower tabbouleh recipe keeps like a champ. It works well for picnics, potlucks, and your weekly meal prep without wilting like a lettuce salad.
It's easy to make. There's a little chopping, stirring, and that's about it.

Key Ingredients

Good cauliflower tabbouleh largely depends on the quality and freshness of your ingredients. Ripe tomatoes, vibrant fresh herbs, and a deliciously green, grassy extra virgin olive oil can make the difference between a lackluster result and a truly spectacular version.

Raw cauliflower is the foundation of this version of tabbouleh. You can use the florets as well as the stems, which minimizes food waste. You'll need about half of a head of cauliflower.
Cucumbers lend a clean, fresh note to cauliflower tabbouleh. English cucumbers work well, but small Persian cucumbers are a good choice, too.
Tomatoes give the tabbouleh an acidic, umami edge. Meaty tomatoes, such as plum tomatoes, work the best, but you can also use heirloom varietals or even cherry tomatoes in a pinch.
Herbs include fresh parsley and fresh mint, which give the salad a beautiful verdant color and a vibrant, fresh flavor. Both curly and flat-leaf parsley work in this recipe.
hGarlic and onions bring a snappy bite to the tabbouleh that's essential for good balance and flavor. I prefer green onions, but finely chopped red onion is a nice substitute, too.
Fresh lemon juice brings acidity to the tabbouleh. While fresh Meyer lemons are my favorite, you can also use preserved lemon, too, as it adds a pleasant complexity to the tabbouleh.
Extra virgin olive oil brings the whole recipe together, and you'll use a lot of it. So the quality and flavor matter.
Optional Add-ins can include Kalamata olives, feta cheese, or bell peppers.

Recipe Tips

Cauliflower tabbouleh is easy to make. For that reason, it's a good recipe for beginners or for home cooks who may not have a lot of experience in the kitchen. While it's an easy recipe, there are a few tips you'll want to keep in mind.

If you don't have a food processor, you can also grate the cauliflower using a box grater.
If you're using small Persian cucumbers, you may not need to peel or seed them as you would with English cucumbers.
Seeding the tomatoes may feel like just one extra step, but it prevents cauliflower tabbouleh from becoming too watery as it sits.
Uniform consistency matters. This means no big hunks of cauliflower and that all your cucumbers and tomatoes are diced to the same size.
It's better the next day, after the salt, olive oil, and lemon juice have time to penetrate the vegetables.

How should I serve it?

You can serve cauliflower tabbouleh just like any fresh vegetable salad. It keeps well, so it's a good candidate for summer barbecues, picnics, and potlucks.

I love to partner it with sprouted hummus, salty olives, and crumbled feta cheese. It's also excellent when you serve it with grilled meats such as lamb or chicken, as well as falafel and pita bread.

Rate this Recipe

4.7 from 3 votes

8 servings

Cauliflower Tabbouleh Recipe

Inspired by the classic Middle Eastern Dish, this cauliflower tabbouleh is loaded with vegetables and herbs. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, making it a great recipe to keep on hand for your weekly meal prep.

Prep Time15

Total Time15

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Ingredients

¾ pound cauliflower (coarsely chopped)
3 medium cucumbers (peeled, seeded and finely chopped)
4 medium plum tomatoes (seeded and finely chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 bunch green onions (sliced thin)
2 bunches flat-leaf parsley (stems removed, minced)
1 bunch fresh mint (stems removed, minced)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus additional, as desired)
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium lemon (juiced)

Equipment

Large Mixing Bowl
food processor

Instructions

Place the cauliflower into the food processor, and pulse until it breaks apart into tiny pieces about the size of grains of rice.
Dump the grated cauliflower, cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic, green onions, parsley, mint, and salt into a large bowl. Stir gently to combine, and then dress with olive oil and lemon juice. Let stand for 15 minutes, and then serve.
Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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Variations + Substitutions

Romanesco is a good substitute for cauliflower and makes a nice variation of this tabbouleh recipe.
Salty, briny feta cheese and olives are nice additions to cauliflower tabbouleh, although they're absent from the traditional version.
For a more pungent onion flavor, skip the green onions and use finely chopped red onion instead.
Diced red pepper is a nice addition, bringing an element of crunch. Sweet bell peppers are delicious, but I'll occasionally add thinly sliced Fresno peppers, too. They have a medium heat level which works well with the mellow flavor of cauliflower.