Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Almonds, Herbs, and Cherries
Description
Until about a week ago, I had never made cauliflower “couscous” or “rice”. To be frank, when I first heard about using cauliflower in this way — as in, crumbling it into rubble to use in place of more traditional starches — I dismissed it as a weird substitute championed by the low-carb community, not unlike their use of spaghetti squash for noodles.
Ingreadient :
- 3 ounces (1/2 to 3/4 cup) dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar or other, see note
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 head of cauliflower or romanesco (about 1 to 1.25 lbs)
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
- 4 to 6 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 to 1 cup rough chopped parsley
- 1/2 cup small, fresh mint leaves
Direction :
- Put the dried cherries and vinegar in a small bowl and leave to plump for at least 30 minutes.
- Place the almonds in a large skillet over low heat. I like to toast the almonds very slowly while I’m assembling the salad. If necessary, I’ll crank up the heat at the end to give them more color.
- If the cauliflower still has outer leaves and they look fresh, chop them. (Note: I’ve yet to use the cauliflower greens in my salad. If you do use them, let me know how it goes!) Break or chop the cauliflower into small florets or pieces. Pulse the cauliflower in the food processor in two batches until you have small pieces: the goal is to create dry, crumbly cauliflower bits that resemble couscous.
- Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl. Season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt (I’m using Diamond Crystal; use less if you’re using Morton) and pepper to taste. Add the sumac, dried chile flakes, the scallions, and the cherries with their soaking vinegar. Toss to mix well
- Taste and adjust the salt, chile flakes, and vinegar until the cauliflower is highly seasoned and well balanced. Finally, add the olive oil, almonds, parsley, and mint and toss well. (Note: If you want to make this in advance for a party or for meal prep, leave out the mint. You can add it just before serving.) Taste again and adjust to taste with more seasons, oil or vinegar. Serve cool or at room temperature.
