Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Apricots and Cashews

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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!

Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Apricots and Cashews

• Author: Ally Milligan
• 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

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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.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

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

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Make the dressing. Add all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
5. 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.

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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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