Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Apricots and Cashews

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
• 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

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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