CAULIFLOWER TABBOULEH

Tabbouleh is a middle-eastern herb salad traditionally made with bulgur – or cracked wheat. In this grain-free version, I substitute finely chopped cauliflower for the bulgur and load up on fresh herbs to make it low sodium.
   
Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, medium (5-6" dia) (575g)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small bunch of flat leaf parsley, chopped (28 g)
1 onion, finely chopped,  medium (2-1/2" dia) (110g)
1/2 seedless cucumber, medium, peeled & chopped (201g)
1 cup ripe tomato, seeded & chopped (2-3/5" dia) (123g)  or 1 can (about 14 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes, well drained
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (75mL)
zest of 1 lemon, grated
1 small bunch of fresh mint leaves, torn, about 15 (10g)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (1 mL)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (2 mL)
pinch of allspice & cinnamon (optional)
     
Preparation      
1. Cut cauliflower florets into uniform pieces. Place cauliflower in food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to grate into uniform granules, about 1 minute.
2. Lightly steam cauliflower in colander over boiling water for about 5 min or until tender-crisp. Spread cauliflower out on a large tray and let cool.
3. Meanwhile, rinse parsley and mint, trim and discard large stems. Place parsley sprigs in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse to chop, 10 to 20 seconds. Tear up mint leaves by hand.
4. Combine cooked cauliflower, parsley, mint, chopped onion, chopped cucumber and chopped tomato in a large bowl.
5. In a small bowl mix, combine  olive oil, lemon juice & zest, garlic powder, black pepper, and if using, allspice and cinnamon. 

6. Pour over cauliflower mixture and toss with rubber spatula to mix well.

7. Store in covered container in refrigerator. It will keep for several days.


Yield: about 7 cups (152 g)


NUTRITION PROFILE: low sodium, low carb, low cholesterol, high fiber

Source: adapted from Canadian Living Test Kitchen