This quick and easy cumin-roasted cauliflower tabbouleh salad is game-changing. It’s a super healthy vegan salad recipe, packed with delicious roasted veggies, fresh herbs, and loaded with plant-based protein. A lovely lunch idea to add to your weekly meal prep!
With beautiful, warmer days lately, homemade salads have come to a regular rotation in my weekly lunch menu. I like them healthy, nourishing and satisfying at the same time. Also, because I don’t like to spend much time preparing lunch (we’re all busy bees, aren’t we?), they must be ready in no time and easy to custom depending on ingredients I have at hand.
This is exactly how this tabbouleh salad recipe came to the world: a beautiful melting pot of ingredients that turned out so well combined together that this bowl simply became my new favorite salad recipe. The secret: play with herbs, spices, and a fresh, light seasoning that simply enhances the existing flavors. Now let me break down this tabbouleh salad with cumin-roasted cauliflower for you.
A tabbouleh salad recipe…
When it comes to tabbouleh salads, there are many different recipes there and there, depending on the origins. The traditional Lebanese tabbouleh is without doubt the most famous one and features parsley as the main ingredient.
In France however, couscous is usually the main ingredient in a tabbouleh recipe before the parsley. I like them both equally well, so of course I added my little twist here again and created my own version. The idea was for me to have couscous as the main ingredient to create a satisfying salad recipe that doesn’t leave you hungry at the end of the meal.
This tabbouleh salad recipe features simple ingredients:
- Couscous (see below for substitute ingredient)
- Red onions
- Lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Fresh parsley and mint leaves
Can I make it gluten-free? Yes you can! Simply replace couscous with quinoa instead, and you’ll get a quinoa tabbouleh salad recipe!
…with cumin-roasted cauliflower
One of the key ingredient to this tabbouleh salad recipe is the cumin-roasted cauliflower. As you may know, cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies when it comes to customization (I just prepared a vegan cauliflower bolognese and it was just wow!). I used lemon roasted cauliflower before in this recipe and this recipe and absolutely loved it.
This time, I proceeded the exact same way, with the only variation that I added cumin seeds to the roasted cauliflower. This brings additional freshness to the dish – so delicious! Roasted cauliflower is also perfect for meal prep and you can easily make it a few days in advance; it will spare you some time for this tabbouleh salad recipe.
Additional toppings and variations
I call them “additional” topping but for me they’re essential ingredients to this salad. It adds in colors, flavors and texture and makes this tabbouleh recipe very enticing to your palate.
- Avocado. In the recipe I recommend 1 or 2 sliced avocados, depending on how much you want in your bowl.
- Hummus. This is an essential ingredient to the bowl as it adds all the plant-based protein you need to make it wholesome. In the recipe, I redirect toward 3 hummus recipes from the blog I absolutely love. Another option is to use spiced roasted chickpeas instead.
- Toasted pine nuts or almonds. They’re totally optional but add in crunchiness to the salad.
Other topping ideas: roasted mushrooms, bell peppers, cucumber, cherry or diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. For an even more fulfilling version, feel free to add a few falafels. Now, if you’re not strictly vegan, you can also consider adding some feta cheese too. Just explore the options and add your twist!
More healthy vegetarian salad recipes:
- Avocado Raspberry Quinoa Salad
- Nourishing Potato Buddha Bowl with Green Tahini Sauce
- French Lentil Salad with Beet and Feta
- Spiced Chickpea Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
- Apricot & Feta Quinoa Mason Jar Salad
- Mediterranean Chickpea Couscous Salad
Play around with cauliflower:
- Veggie Beet Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust (Gluten free)
- Vegan Chickpea Curry with Cauliflower Rice (gluten free)
- Curried Cauliflower Grilled-Cheese Sandwich
- Cauliflower Steaks with Harissa Tahini Sauce (vegan, gluten-free)
To explore further around cauliflower, don’t miss 5 Fun & Healthy Ways to Cook with Cauliflower.
PrintCumin-Roasted Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
This quick and easy cumin-roasted cauliflower tabbouleh salad is game-changing. It’s a super healthy vegan salad recipe, packed with delicious roasted veggies, fresh herbs, and loaded with plant-based protein. A lovely lunch idea to add to your weekly meal prep!
Ingredients
For the tabbouleh salad:
- 1 cup (200g) couscous
- 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (250 ml) water, lukewarm
- 2–3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large lemons
- 1/2 red onion, minced
- 1 Tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons mint leaves
- 1/2 large head cauliflower (or 1 small cauliflower), cut into florets
- 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds (not ground)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the toppings:
- 1–2 ripe avocados, halved, stoned and sliced
- Pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted
- Hummus (for homemade version, you can use this recipe, this one or this one)
Instructions
- Pour the couscous in a large mixing bowl and cover with lukewarm water. Let sit for about 30 minutes, fluffing couscous from time to time with a fork. When all water is absorbed, drizzle the juice of one lemon, add one Tablespoon of olive oil, and fluff with a fork.
- Add the onions, chopped parsley, mint leaves, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Set aside.
- For roasted cauliflower florets, preheat the oven o 420°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cauliflower cut into florets with the remaining olive oil, add cumin seeds, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer cauliflower florets to the baking sheet.
- Cut the remaining lemon in half and place it face down onto the prepared baking sheet. Roast cauliflower and lemon in the oven for about 40 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time, toss the cauliflower and press the lemons over the cauliflower florets.
- When ready, add cauliflower florets to the tabbouleh salad and toss well. Serve into separate bowls, adding a few toppings including sliced avocado, (homemade or store-bought) hummus, and a toasted few pine nuts or slivered almonds on top for a crunchy bite. Drizzle additional olive oil on top if desired and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Cumin-Roasted Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
