gluten free roasted cauliflower tabbouleh – geroosterde bloemkool tabbouleh (GF-DF-V-SF)

Yes, this is such an incredible gluten free tabbouleh. I love it. I still remember eating my first tabbouleh in Portugal, about 30 years ago, with some friends, near the seaside, at the family restaurant of an Algerian cook. It was so amazing, the crunchiness of the herbs with the earthy taste of bulgur, a touch of cucumber and tomato. And that with some roasted sardines fresh from the sea onto the grill. Life was great!!

Replacing the bulgur isn’t easy at all; I once bought some gluten free couscous, but it was just some sort of broken rice, which turned into a soup when prepared. No success at all.

Somewhere on the internet I read about using raw cauliflower, but I wasn’t sure about that, too harsh! Then I found this idea of roasting the cauliflower and I thought, yes, this might be it. And after testing, I can assure you, it is divine. Try it and be convinced.

You’ll need:

1 big head of cauliflower

2 tbsp of olive oil

Pepper and salt

1 big bunch of parsley

1 handful of mint

4 spring onions or same amount very finely cut onion

1 small zucchini

1 handful of roasted almonds, for some crunch, roughly chopped

½ - 1 lemon, juiced

2-4 tbsp olive oil

First pre-heat the oven on 200°C.

Prepare the cauliflower by washing it and making small rosets. “Rice” them in a small kitchen machine by pulsing small batches at a time. Mix the cauliflower “rice” on a baking tray with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Set aside and let the lightly browned cauliflower cool down a bit.

In the meantime cut parsley, mint and onion with a sharp knife very fine. Set aside. Juice the lemon. Toast the almonds and let them cool before cutting them roughly.

Slice the zucchini and cut into small cubes. Put aside too.

Assemble the tabbouleh:

Put the cooled cauliflower “rice” in a big bowl and add chopped parsley, mint, onions and almonds. Mix with your hands.

Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and olive oil and season with some salt and pepper. Mix well and taste. Add more of the lemon juice or olive oil to your own taste. I like a tangy tabbouleh. Great with some roasted fish.

Serve at once or let it cool in the fridge for some hours.

Je hebt nodig:

1 grote bloemkool

2 el olijfolie

Peper en zout

1 flinke bos peterselie

1 handvol munt

4 lente uitjes of zelfde hoeveelheid heel fijn gesneden ui

1 kleine courgette

1 handvol geroosterde amandelen, grofgehakt

½ -1 citroen, sap

Verwarm eerst de oven voor op 200°C.

Was de bloemkool en verdeel in roosjes. Maak “rijst” van de bloemkool door de roosjes in een kleine keukenmachine te pulseren. Doe dit in kleine gedeeltes.

Meng op een bakplaat de bloemkoolrijst met 2 eetlepels olijfolie en wat peper en zout.

Rooster 30 minuten in de oven, roer na 15 minuten door elkaar.

De bloemkool wordt lichtbruin; zet opzij en laat afkoelen.

Ondertussen snijd je de peterselie en munt zeer fijn. Zo ook de ui. Rooster de amandelen en laat afkoelen voordat je ze grof hakt. Pers de citroen uit.

Snijd de courgette in plakjes en vervolgens in kleine blokjes.

Samenstellen van de tabbouleh: 

Doe de afgekoelde bloemkool in een ruime kom en meng met de fijngesneden kruiden, ui,courgette en amandelen. Voeg eerst 2 eetlepels citroensap toe en 2 eetlepels olijfolie. Breng op smaak met peper en eventueel nog wat zout. Proef en voeg naar smaak extra citroensap en olie toe. Ik hou van een zurige tabbouleh, lekker met geroosterde  vis. Dien meteen op of laat heel koel worden in de koelkast.