I was never a huge fan of cauliflower until I discovered its rawesome ability to transform into a texture similar to rice and couscous. I feel like I'm eating a completely different food after just tossing the florets into a food processor or a blender -- no baking, steaming, or cooking required! Using such simple raw prepping techniques, you maintain all of the cauliflower's amazing health benefits.
I've been experimenting with cauliflower recipes for quite some time and this couscous has been my absolute favorite. In a word, it tastes like freshness. I never use any added salt in my dishes, but if I'm ever in a savory mood this really hits the spot. It's great to eat by itself, on top of a big bed of fresh greens, wrapped up in collard leaves, or as a simple side dish. The dressing can also be recreated an poured over any type of salad.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Approximately 6-8 Cups
Ingredients:
- Florets from 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 Red bell pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/2 of a large cucumber, peeld, seeded, and diced
- 3 TBSP chopped fresh chives
- 3 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsly
- 4 TBSP chopped organic sun-dried tomatoes (Avoid the those soaked in oil, salt, and sulfites)
- 1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- 2.5 TBSP Raw tahini
- 3 Celery Stalks, chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 TBSP Fresh Dill
- 3 TBSP of water, or as needed
1. Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor (a blender also works, though the "couscous" does not come out as evenly as with a processor). Pulse a few times until you get a fine, couscous-like consistency. Place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Peel, dice, and/or chop the remaining "couscous" ingredients and mix together with the cauliflower.
3. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a Vitamix or high-speed blender. A high-speed blender is optimal for creating a even, smooth, and creamy consistency. If you are working with a standard blender, you may need to add more water.
4. Pour the dressing over the couscous and mix together by hand until all of the couscous is coated. Serve immediately or let it sit in the fridge for 1-2 hours to allow all of the ingredients to absorb the dressing.
Lauren Golin writes about raw food at her website withrawintentions.com, where a version of this post originally appeared.