Whether you’re trying to avoid grains or just eat more vegetables, cauliflower couscous salad is the perfect salad grain alternative. Cauliflower couscous has such a mild flavor, that we decided to spice it up with a citrus date dressing, dried apricots and cashews.
The dressing, inspired by Ottolenghi, may sound weird, but trust me: you’ll want to put it on everything. This dish is seasonally versatile: eat it cold in the summer, serve warm in the winter. Either way, enjoy!
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Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Apricots and Cashews
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 As A Main, 6-8 As A Side 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: Moroccan-Inspired
Description
This cauliflower couscous with dried apricots and cashews is topped with a citrus-date dressing. Vegan, gluten-free and paleo, perfect for any season.
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 heads cauliflower
- ½ cup roasted cashews
- ⅓ cup apricots, cut into raisin-sized pieces
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- salt
- pepper
Citrus-Date Dressing
- 2 tablespoons pitted, dried dates (see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Make the cauliflower couscous. Coarsely chop the cauliflower florets (some of the stems are fine) and place in a food processor. Process until the texture and consistency of couscous. You may need to do this in two batches.
- Spread the cauliflower couscous evenly on a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through.Remove from oven and allow to cool.
- Make the dressing. Add all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- When the cauliflower couscous has cooled, put it in a large mixing bowl, stir in the dressing and the remaining ingredients and serve. You may wish to reserve some of the add-ins to sprinkle on top.
Notes
Medjool dates are best in the recipe but you can use Deglet Nour in a pinch – just soak them in water for a couple hours to soften before blending.
Loosely adapted from Ottolenghi.
Keywords: cauliflower couscous, cauliflower salad, cauliflower rice
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