Turn Cauliflower Into ‘Couscous’ for a Light Summer Side

Couscous is an excellent side dish or vegetarian option that is perfect for outdoor dining. It can be served warm or cold, has a satisfying kick of spice, and is healthy to boot. Just a plate of couscous, you think? Well, not quite. Unlike Middle Eastern couscous, which is made with tiny grains of semolina wheat, this “couscous” is a grain-free alternative, and therefore gluten-free.

The star of the show is cauliflower. Its versatility, sturdy texture, and nutty, buttery flavor seamlessly transform otherwise wheat-y and starchy preparations. Cauliflower is a healthy, tasty stand-in for wheat in flour mixes for pizza crust, crackers, bread, and pasta. When finely chopped, it’s a great substitute for rice, and when pureed, it’s a light and fluffy alternative to mashed potatoes. While the end results have a notable nutty and vegetal quality, cauliflower, with all of its iterations, is light, gluten-free, and delicious.

In this recipe, cauliflower florets are blitzed into tiny pieces, then sautéed in a pan until crisp-tender. Next, proceed as you would with a traditional couscous dish, tumbling it with bunches of chopped green herbs, vegetables, and spices. The extra bonus is that, unlike wheat couscous, which requires the absorption of a large amount of water and olive oil to soften, cauliflower couscous needs only a splash or two of oil in which to sauté. So, have at it with no regrets, and dig in with a big spoon.

Lemony Cauliflower ‘Couscous’

Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cored, leaves discarded, florets coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 red jalapeño or serrano peppers, seeded, finely diced
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup (packed) chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup (packed) chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint leaves

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and process until very finely chopped, similar in size to couscous grains or fine rice.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and sauté until the grains begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, cayenne, and black pepper and sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the cauliflower is crisp-tender (or to your desired consistency), about 2 minutes more.

Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if desired. If too dry, add more lemon juice or oil to moisten. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Lynda Balslev

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Lynda Balslev is a cookbook author, food and travel writer, and recipe developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her Danish husband, two children, a cat, and a dog. Lynda studied cooking at Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine in Paris and worked as a personal chef, culinary instructor, and food writer in Switzerland and Denmark. Copyright 2021 Lynda Balslev. Distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication.