Purple Cauliflower Tabbouleh

I have a weakness for purple vegetables. So when my organic stand at the Farmers’ Market offered beautiful purple cauliflowers, I had to buy one. I wanted to eat it raw, because when cooking purple cauliflower it looses its vibrant color. On my way home I decided it had to be a cauliflower tabbouleh, for which you grate the raw florets into little ‘grains’. It’s based on a recipe of mine that I wrote years ago for the magazine of a large Dutch grocery store. Back then it was called Cauliflower Caviar instead of Tabbouleh (I guess this was before the Middle Eastern culinary hype). We prepared this tabbouleh for lunch, as a salad, dressed up with some feta cheese and olives, but it makes a great barbecue side dish as well. And, of course, if you cannot find a purple cauliflower, a white one will do too.

Serves 4
Action Time 20-25 minutes

1 large purple cauliflower
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 scallions, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, diced
a handful of fresh herbs like mint, flat leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped
a piece of feta, to serve
a handful of olives, to serve

Extra: box grater

1. Half or quarter the cauliflower. Grate the florets into little ‘grains’ with a box grater. Discard the stalks.

2. In a bowl toss the grated cauliflower with 2 tbsp lemon juice and the scallions. Let marinate while you cook the zucchini.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet and cook the diced zucchini for several minutes until they are golden. Season with salt and pepper and let cool a little. Add the zucchini to the cauliflower and toss gently.

4. Mix in the rest of the olive oil and herbs. Season with salt and pepper, and some extra lemon juice if necessary. Serve with feta, some olives and bread if you like.