These fresh paleo and vegan lettuce cups are piled with a lemony and herb-filled broccoli and cauliflower couscous.
The days are getting longer and more sun-filled and the evenings breezier and balmier, and that can only mean one thing – summer is finally here.
Although we still have a bit of June gloom to get through before we technically hit summer, I’m getting a head start on my favorite season of the year. That means it’s time for lighter, brighter fare filled with the freshest of fresh vegetables like these broccoli and cauliflower couscous lettuce cups.
It’s the ultimate summertime dish, wonderfully light and loaded with fresh herbs and raw vegetables. It’s the ideal thing to make in the heat of summer when turning on the oven is just not an option.
I start by swapping out the traditional semolina based couscous for finely shredded broccoli and cauliflower. You’ve probably tried cauliflower rice by now, but did you know you could also rice broccoli? Ricing broccoli is just as easy as ricing cauliflower and the combination of the two give this couscous a vibrant green hue and fresh flavor. All you need to make your own is a food processor or a grater but you can also find pre-riced broccoli and cauliflower at many grocery stores these days.
The salad itself bears a strong resemblance to tabbouleh. The dressing is a simple combination of lemon juice and olive oil livened up with fistfuls of chopped fresh herbs like parsley, mint and scallions, but instead of tomatoes and cucumbers, thinly sliced radishes offer a nice bit of crunch and chopped pistachios a rich, buttery, nutty finish.
The finished “couscous” is then piled into little lettuce cups, like a handheld salad. The lettuce cups make for a more picnic and/or party friendly presentation. What you end up with is a vegetable-filled dish that’s big on fresh flavors and perfect for almost any summer occasion.
Serves serves 4-6
Sylvie Shirazi
20 minPrep Time
20 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 small head of broccoli, separated into florets
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1-2 small green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon/ 15ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons/ 14g pistachios, finely chopped
- Butter lettuce leaves for serving
Instructions
- Pulse cauliflower in a food processor until rice-like in texture. Wipe out food processor and pulse broccoli until rice-like in texture. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in chopped parsley, mint, green onions, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Add radishes and pistachios and gently toss to coat. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.
- To assemble, arrange butter lettuce leaves on a serving platter and scoop couscous mixture into each cup.
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