Herby Cauliflower ‘Couscous’
Cauliflower is a really underrated vegetable. Its white colour and mild flavour make it far less ‘healthy’ tasting than its cousin broccoli while still providing just as many valuable nutrients. I love this healthy alternative to couscous not only because it’s better for you, it’s quicker to make as well.
enough for: 4 as a side
takes: 5 minutes
1/2 large cauliflower
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large bunch coriander (cilantro)
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1. Remove any leaves from cauli. Chop into chunks and whizz in the food processor until you have fine ‘couscous’ grains.
2. Toss in lemon juice and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Season.
3. Remove most of the stems from the herbs then finely and coarsley chop the remaining stems and leaves.
4. Toss herbs into the cauli and serve.
Leftover Potential
Great! Will keep in the fridge for a few days. Longer than that it will still be edible but the herbs will have wilted.
Variations for Serving Sizes
Will easily decrease or increase. You just may need to whizz in batches in the food processor.
Variations
wintery – after you whizz the cauliflower, cook it in a frying pan in a little oil for long enough to warm it up but not brown. Remove from the heat before adding the lemon juice and herbs. Serve warm.
prefer real couscous? – place 1 cup couscous in a heat proof bowl. Pour over 1 cup boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes or longer. Fluff with a fork and add lemon juice and olive oil then toss in the herbs.
different herbs – mint or basil or any combo will be great.
Problem Solving Guide
no food processor? – you have a tough job in front of you. Just chop the cauliflower by hand as finely as you can be bothered to do.
difficult to eat – if your herbs are too coarse they can be a pain. Next time be a little more careful on herb chopping duty.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
cauliflower – ungrated cauli will keep for weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen but the texture isn’t as good when defrosted.
lemons – will keep for a few weeks at room temp or for much longer in the fridge.
coriander (cilantro) – freeze it in a plastic bag.
flat leaf parsley – will keep for about 2 weeks wrapped in a plastic bag in the fridge. For longer can be frozen, will wilt when you defrost it but still edible.
Serving Suggestions
Makes a delicious light side anywhere you’d normally serve regular couscous or steamed rice.
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I’m looking forward to trying this except… I keep trying to like cilantro, and it just keeps tasting like soap. I usually leave it out of any recipe that calls for it, but sometimes that leaves things a little bland. Last week I added cumin to the lime juice for my fish tacos, which worked fine, but I’m wondering if you have any other suggestions?
The best substitute for cilantro I think is mint Laura… but basil and flat leaf parsley or a combo of any of these are also good options!
Jx
We all loved this. It is very refreshing but it may take some work to convince my hubby that it is a “couscous” replacement. We tried it first with grilled salmon and local corn on the cob. When I plated it his comments were “looks and smells terrific but where’s the rice?” Brown rice with quinoa in the freezer microwaved for 2 minutes bailed me out. I hope I can convert him because I thought it was perfect without the rice.
So glad you liked it Deborah!
Maybe if you tried it with half the herbs – it would look more ‘couscous’ like and keep him happy? Sounds like a tough nut to crack 🙂
J