Paleo, ketogenic (low carb) and Whole30

I had never heard of tabbouleh until I followed a recipe in the Hemsley and Hemsley ‘the art of eating well’ cook book (which I have reviewed here). I didn’t even know what it was supposed to be made with, so I decided to consort good old google to find out.

Traditionally it’s a Middle Eastern dish that is made with bulgur, onion, tomatoes, mint and parsley and is considered to be a salad. The Levantine Arabic ‘Tabbule’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘Taabli’ meaning ‘seasoning’.

I found lots of different recipes including rice, bulgur wheat and couscous and I realized that it could be pretty much whatever I wanted it to be, but to keep it authentic I used the traditional ingredients with middle eastern seasoning.

Macros – 5 Servings
Total Carbs 8.9g
Fiber 3.2g
Net Carbs 5.7g
Protein 2.9g
Fat 7.7g
Kcals 106

Final note – I have tagged this recipe as Whole30 as its compliment with the whole 30 program. It is simple, unprocessed food with no added sugars, grains or legumes.

Print Recipe

Fragrant Tabbouleh

This light and fragrant tabbouleh is paleo friendly and low carb. It's got a sublet lemon flavour which is perfectly enhanced by the sumac. If you wanted to leave out the pistachios and pomegranate then you could easily sub with a sprinkling of chia seeds and a sliced fresh fig.

Course

Side

Cuisine

Middle Eastern

Prep Time

15

Cook Time

10

Servings

Ingredients

• 400 grams Cauli Rice
• 30 grams Spring onion
• 80 grams Cucumber
• 70 grams Cherry tomatoes
• 3 TBSP Mint
• 1 1/2 TBSP Parsley
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tsp Sumac (Ground)
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 20 grams Pistachio Nuts Roasted and Chopped
• 40 grams Pomegranate
• 1/2 Tsp Pink Himalayan rock salt
• 1/2 Tsp Black pepper

Course Side Cuisine Middle Eastern Prep Time 15 Cook Time 10 Servings Ingredients 400 grams Cauli Rice 30 grams Spring onion 80 grams Cucumber 70 grams Cherry tomatoes 3 TBSP Mint 1 1/2 TBSP Parsley 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 1/2 Tsp Sumac (Ground) 2 TBSP lemon juice 20 grams Pistachio Nuts Roasted and Chopped 40 grams Pomegranate 1/2 Tsp Pink Himalayan rock salt 1/2 Tsp Black pepper

Instructions

Make the Cauli Rice

1. Add the cauliflower to a blender and blitz until its rice like.
2. Pour the cauli-rice into a steamer with about 1/2 cup of water. Steam the cauli-rice on a low heat with the lid on for about 6 minutes. Keep an eye on it as too much water may make it boil over and too little water will dry out and burn the pan!
3. When the rice has steamed turn off the heat, pour the cauli-rice into a sieve and allow to cool over a bowl (any excess moisture will drip into the bowl). Prepare the rest of the ingredients while it cools.

Prepare the Salad

1. Dice the cucumber, chop the tomatoes into quarters and chop the spring onion into small rings. Add to a large bowl and stir to combine.
2. Add the lemon juice, the olive oil, salt , pepper, chopped mint and parsley to the cucumber salad and again, stir to combine.
3. In a small pan roast the chopped pistachios until golden then place aside ready to sprinkle on top.
4. Cut the pomegranate in half and facing downwards into a bowl squeeze the skin the tap hard to allow the seeds to fall into the bowl. Place aside ready to sprinkle on the top of the tabbouleh.
5. Add the cooled cauli-rice to the salad mix and stir thoroughly to combine. Sprinkle the sumac on top (if you want more then use more - it gives a lemony taste to the dish).
6. Plate up the tabbouleh, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the pomegranate and a sprinkling of the pistachio on top of each servings.
7. The tabbouleh will last in the fridge for about 5 days. I kept the pomegranate and pistachios separately in small tubs, sprinkling over the top just before serving.