The Easiest Cauliflower Tabbouleh Recipe

Now, there’s nothing wrong with bulgur, so don’t start hating on it. But I think using cauliflower in its place adds a new spin to tabbouleh and, honestly, it’s quicker to make.

As a mom, the quicker I can make delicious, healthy meals for my family, the better. Doing this also means I clear up more time to spend with them! That’s a win in my book. This easy cauliflower tabbouleh recipe checks all those boxes, plus it makes great leftovers.

Recipe qualities:

• Quick
• Simple
• Crunchy
• Textured

Ingredients used:

• Cauliflower
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Parsley

 

3 Health Benefits of This Cauliflower Tabbouleh Recipe

 

1. Slows Down Cognitive Decline

One of the main reasons I wanted to swap out bulgur for cauliflower is because cauliflower has so many health benefits.

Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. This group includes broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, arugula, and radishes, to name a few.

They are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. They also contain minerals such as folate and phytonutrients, which help lower inflammation and, in turn, help prevent harmful diseases.

Studies have shown that eating a diet high in vegetables—specifically cruciferous vegetables— may slow down age-related cognitive decline. [1,2,3]

Tomatoes also contain vitamin C and folate. Low folate levels are linked to lowered cognitive function. [4]

 

2. Full of Fiber

A serving of cauliflower contains about 10 percent of your dietary needs.

According to the American Heart Association, we need roughly 30 grams of fiber per day.

If you think about your daily fiber intake, chances are it’s nowhere near 30 grams.

This is why adding more vegetables into your diet is beneficial. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll also be getting the proper intake of essential nutrients to keep things moving along.

Cauliflower is rich in inulin, which is a type of prebiotic fiber. The good bacteria in your gut feed on inulin. They do this by fermenting it into short-chain fatty acids, which are great for colon health. [5]

Adding more fibrous foods to your diet, like cauliflower, may also reduce or lower your chances of developing certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, inflammation, and certain cancers, plus it can help improve your overall immune function. [6,7,8]

 

3. Heart Healthy

We know by now that inflammation is the root cause of most illnesses. Chronic inflammation may even lead to developing heart disease. This is because inflammation may lead to high blood pressure (hypertension).

Luckily cauliflower contains sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is a sulfur-rich compound found in cruciferous vegetables.

Sulforaphane in food is in an inactive form called glucoraphanin that contains myrosinase enzymes. These myrosinase enzymes are only activated when a plant is damaged.

So to activate sulforaphane, you must cut, chop, or chew your vegetables … which hopefully you do because swallowing a vegetable whole is a choking hazard.

Raw cruciferous vegetables contain up to 10 times the amount of sulforaphane than when cooked. [9]

Studies have shown that sulforaphane may reduce inflammation. It does this by opening up the artery pathways, lowering the chances of developing heart disease. [10,11,12]

Tomatoes contain chlorogenic acid, a powerful antioxidant, that may lower blood pressure in those suffering from hypertension. [13,14]

Cucumber contains a hefty amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants have been linked to blocking oxidation. They do this by reducing free radicals which lower oxidative stress.

Harmful free radicals have been linked to a plethora of diseases, including heart disease. [15]

Parsley contains vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that may aid in heart health. One study has shown that those who ate food rich in vitamin C significantly reduced their risk of heart disease. [16]

 

Cauliflower Tabbouleh Recipe

What could be more simple than mixing all the ingredients in one bowl?

After your vegetables are prepped and ready to go, just throw them all into a large mixing bowl, add the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and use tongs or your hands to mix everything together!

I love making this cauliflower tabbouleh recipe because of its simplicity. I also really like to make big batches of it and eat it throughout the week because it keeps rather well.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know if you make it and what you think!

 

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 small bowl

 

Ingredients

1 head chopped cauliflower

1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

½ cup sliced kalamata olives

1 sliced cucumber

1 bunch parsley

Juice of a ½ lemon (add more if you want)

¼-½ cup olive oil

1-2 teaspoons sea salt

1-2 teaspoons pepper

 

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing to combine.

 

2. Cover and place bowl in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

3. Top with green onions. Enjoy!