This recipe for Cauliflower Couscous Salad is from Alexandracooks.com. I don’t know who first realized that cauliflower could be chopped up like rice or like couscous, but they were brilliant. Alexandra Stoddard took inspiration for this recipe from “Six Seasons” by Joshua McFadden. Love this salad and … no cooking (except toasting the almonds, which you could skip)!
Ingredients:
1/2 to 3/4 cup dried tart cherries or dried cranberries 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 cup sliced almonds 1 head cauliflower 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
Preparation:
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.
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 kosher salt 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. Taste again and adjust to taste with more seasons, oil or vinegar. Serve cool or at room temperature.