We’re calling it a tabouli salad (or as it’s sometimes spelled ‘tabbouleh’). But I took some liberties! With a combo of riced cauliflower and brown rice, plus the addition of some feta– we’ve got a tabouli-ish salad– packed full of veggies and flavor– but even more macro-friendly. Plus, this is one seriously easy tabouli recipe.
If you have cooked brown rice on hand already, then you can whip together this tabouli salad in no time. Of course, you could sub in quinoa, or farro, or even couscous. It’s great for lunch or dinner. Just add in your favorite grilled protein!
Tabouli Salad Base of Brown Rice and Cauliflower Rice
Tabouli salad is traditionally made with bulgur, which you can definitely use in this recipe, but I’m a fan of using the things we always have on hand! And brown rice is a staple grain over here. The cauliflower rice is just a great way to stretch the carbs much farther, so you can keep your portion large, and the carbs low. You can leave your cauliflower rice raw if you’d prefer, but I prefer it steamed. Roasted would also be delicious! I like to buy a 10-ounce bag of cauliflower rice and steam the rice in the bag– because it’s easy. And I need more easy in my life. I’m gonna guess YOU DO TOO.
Again, I also use brown rice here. I usually use precooked organic brown rice from Costco (the one that’s sold in the bowls). But you can also use farro, bulgur, or quinoa. The macros will vary slightly, but if you stick to the same cooked weight as I list in this tabbouleh recipe, it’s gonna be very close! I wouldn’t stress.
How to Make Tabouli Salad with Feta, Brown Rice, and Cauliflower
Once you have your cauliflower rice and brown rice ready and cooled, then it’s time to chop some veggies! Here’s the chopping list. These are all essential tabouli ingredients.
- Diced English cucumber
- Seeded and diced tomatoes
- Diced red onion
- Minced parsley
- Chopped arugula (or just add more parsley if arugula isn’t your favorite)
- Minced fresh mint
Combine these vegetables with your cauliflower rice and brown rice in a large bowl, along with some feta cheese.
Next, in a separate small bowl, whisk together your lemon juice and garlic. Pour this all over your salad. Then drizzle with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Finally, toss everything together really well and enjoy!
You can serve this tabouli salad with practically any grilled protein—chicken, fish, shrimp, pork tenderloin… You get it!
Serving Suggestions
Here are some delicious proteins that would go great with this tabouli salad:
More Salad Recipes
Here are a few more salads you might like:
- Quick Mexican Chicken Salad
- Easy Buffalo Chicken Grain Salad
- Farro and Sweet Potato Salad with Blackened Salmon
If you make this tabouli salad with feta, brown rice, and cauliflower, be sure to tag me on Instagram @lillieeatsandtells!
Tabouli Salad with Feta, Brown Rice, and Cauliflower Rice
Ingredients
- 2½ cups cauliflower rice, steamed or raw* (10 oz bag frozen, 280 g)
- 1 cup brown rice, cooked may sub bulgur, farro, quinoa, etc. (210 g cooked weight)
- 2 cups English cucumber, diced (315 g)
- 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and diced (315 g)
- 2 cups red onion, diced (250 g)
- 2 cups parsley, minced (65 g)
- 1 cup arugula, minced or additional parsley (35 g)
- ¼ cup fresh mint, minced (10 g)
- 1½ cup crumbled, fat-free feta cheese 1 container from Trader Joe's (170 g)
- 1 clove garlic, minced or frozen cube
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (60 g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (30 g)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Cook brown rice according to directions and allow it to cool.
- In a large bowl, combine cooled cauliflower rice, cooked brown rice, diced cucumber, tomato, red onion, parsley, arugula, mint, and feta.
- Add frozen garlic cube to a small bowl and squeeze your lemon juice into it to help it break down and thaw quickly. If using fresh minced garlic, just toss it in! Pour the garlic/lemon juice over the salad.
- Drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil over the salad and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss well and enjoy topped with grilled chicken, fish, shrimp, pork tenderloin, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Recipe Card
Can I make this the day before? Guessing just wait to put the garlic/lemon juice on at time of serving?