One of my current favourite salads or a side dish for a barbecue is this version of Tabbouleh, a Middle-Eastern staple, by Kate Harrison, author of the book, The Dirty Diet.
This is a really interesting book if a) you need to shed some weight (I do!) and b) if you are in a rut and want some new super simple recipes. I have bought the book for friends who absolutely are not on diets and do not need to be, only because the recipes there really are fantastic. It is the best £6 you will spend all week and you may surprise yourself.
I have adapted the recipe a teeny tiny bit, and we really enjoy this dish. In the book, the quantities show below are for 2 servings (perfect at 131 calories per person). Personally, I think these quantities make a generous side dish for 4 and go really well with grilled chicken wings, for example.
Without further ado, here is the ‘Tabbouleh’ – I am using inverted commas as this recipe skips some of the key tabbouleh ingredients and is just a salad.
The Dirty Diet’s ‘Quick as a flash Cauliflower and Broccoli Tabbouleh’ recipe, with some Mrs. O edits.
Time to prep: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: officially 2, but I would say 4 as a side dish
Calories per serving: 131 (if 2) or 70 (if for 4)
Quick ‘Tabbouleh’ ingredients
200g mixed cauliflower and broccoli florets (or just broccoli)
Handful of fresh mint
Handful of fresh flat parsley
3 spring onions, chopped
30g fresh pomegranate seeds
150g fresh cherry tomatoes (we usually do without)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Quick ‘Tabbouleh’ method
- Pulse the florets in a food processor until they form ‘grains’. Add to serving bowl.
- Pulse the herbs and spring onions together. Add to serving bowl.
- Mix everything together in serving bowl. Add pomegranate seeds and/or cherry tomatoes and stir together.
- Pour over lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt if necessary and serve.
This is a very simple recipe, but very different to something we would normally have at home and we love it. We are adding a lot more herbs to our salads and they really make a difference.
If you are in the mood, you can have a look at my Mango Salsa recipe which is also delicious.
Prep utensils used:
Ikea white cutting board (3 for £6.90 in UK/Europe, $8.50 in USA/Canada)
Ikea mixing bowl 20 cm in stainless steel (£6.15 in UK/Europe, $11 in USA/Canada)
Knife – part of Wusthof knife set (£499 UK/Europe, $479 USA/Canada)
Braun hand blender set (£64.99 in UK/Europe, $90 in USA/Canada)
Let me know if you try it!
xo
Mrs O