Cauliflower “Couscous” with kale, cabbage, walnuts, dried cranberries, and lemon-mustard vinaigrette is packed with nutrients, full of flavor and makes for a marvelous side dish! Just add animal protein to turn it into a main entree.
So I’ve been doing this thing that has been making me feel like a natural woman…
…And no, it has nothing to do with bathing, shaving, behaving, or any action verb that requires proper hygiene or social normalcy.
I’ve been taking an online photography class, people!
A few years ago, I came across Eva’s blog, Adventures in Cooking. I was immediately drawn to her photography, and since then, she has been my photography idol. Can I be you, Eva? Please and thank you. When I saw that she was offering an online food styling and photography workshop, I just about died.
And then I did some pacing. And some head scratching. And some ice cream binge eating. Followed by some wall-staring, followed by more pacing. Because this is how I deal with the thought of change.
Let’s chat about this “couscous,” as it is not your regular couscous at all.
What is Cauliflower Couscous?:
Simply put, cauliflower “couscous” is cauliflower grated into small pieces that resemble actual couscous. It is essentially the same thing as cauliflower rice. When cooked, cauliflower couscous even has a similar texture to regular couscous. BOOM! Innovation.
I wasn’t sure what to name this recipe.. Power Couscous Bamboozle. Superfood Cauliflower Jamborooski. Bad Mama Jama Cruciferous Vegetable Bowl. I’m real creative.
So I ended up naming it something blasé, yet relevant, so that I would get SEO bonus points for really buzz-wording it out.
There’s a lot going on in this bowl. You should investigate it.
I was inspired by Andrea’s Cauliflower Couscous with Lentils and Turmeric-Tahini Dressing and had been meaning to do cauliflower in the raw for quite some time. So I whipped up this recipe and it is the latest object of my affection.
Ingredients for Raw Cauliflower Couscous:
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Walnuts
- Dried Cranberries
- Green Onion
- Lemon Vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, and stone ground mustard!
Health Benefits of Cauliflower Couscous:
This cauliflower couscous packs a mean antioxidant punch! Between the kale, cabbage, and cauliflower (three AMAZING cruciferous vegetables), it contains Vitamin C, Vitamin K, choline, fiber, and more! These vegetables have been touted as cancer-fighting and disease prevention foods. Making them a regular part of your diet is a sweet little insurance policy.
More Cauliflower Recipes:
- “Cheesy” Vegan Roasted Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Breakfast Porridge
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
Go raw, dog (not to be confused with…never mind).
Raw Cauliflower Couscous with Kale
Ingredients
- ½ head cauliflower grated (4 cups)
- 2 cups red cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 cups tightly packed dino kale thinly sliced*
- 5 stalks green onion chopped (3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts chopped
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
- Salt and cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse all of the vegetables very well and pat dry.
- Remove the stems on the cauliflower, chop the head in half, and grate one of the halves using a box grater (note: you can also pulse cauliflower florets in a food processor).
- Add cauliflower couscous, cabbage, kale, green onion, dried cranberries, and walnuts to a large serving bowl.
- Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and stone ground mustard together in a small bowl. Pour it over the veggies and toss everything together well. Taste the "couscous" for flavor and add more olive oil, lemon juice, and/or sea salt to taste.
- Serve alongside your favorite entree.
This sounds good but shy do you did you have to recommend “ANIMAL PROTEIN “? Is there no plant based suitable for this dish? Are you saying no other protein tastes good in this dish?
Hi there! You can add any plant-based protein you’d like.
Very good! I looks beautiful and tastes great. I will definitely make it again and again.
I’m so happy to hear that, Nancy! xoxox
Confused about 2 measurements –
½ cups head cauliflower grated (4 ) and 5 cup stalks green onion chopped (3/4 )
Other than that is sounds good. I always like to see where the original recipe is referenced; however, in this case the link doesn’t work and I don’t see anything resembling this on Andrea’s website. oh well.
Hi Sharon,
I’m sorry about that! I changed recipe plugins a few months ago, which caused some of my recipes to turn a little wonky. I fixed the measurements. It should be 1/2 a large head of cauliflower, which when grated should be about 4 cups-worth, and 5 stalks of green onion, which when chopped should be about 3/4 cup worth. Hope you love the couscous! xo
This came out awesome! Thanks for the great recipe!
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe – I love how clean and tasty it is! 😀
Where’s the couscous in this recipe?
Hi Cathy, I’m sorry for the confusion. The grated cauliflower is the “couscous” in the recipe.
Hi! This looks delicious. But I’m confused–how much couscous do you use? Thanks!
Oops. I get it! The cauliflower IS the couscous?
Glad you figured it out…yeah, I got a little sneaky by calling the cauliflower couscous…it was either that or “rice”…or “grated cauliflower..” Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I just made this recipe, it’s just soooo awesome! Looks so pretty and tastes even better. I’ve been eating raw for five months now and this is easily one of my favorite recipes. I just added one clove of garlic because we love it, other than that I followed your recipe. Thank you for this great recipe!
Hope you’re having fun in your photo class (don’t doubt you are, sounds like you can have fun ere’where)! love love love cauliflower couscous!
So, I’m going to be keeping my ears to the ground about when Eva’s next class will be…because damn do these photos look good! I mean, your photos ALWAYS look good, but these really make me want to dive into a bowl of raw cauli. And that is no easy feat.