These fresh lettuce cups are piled high with a lemony and herb-filled broccoli cauliflower rice.
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 cauliflower rice 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.
What is riced broccoli?
You’ve probably tried cauliflower rice by now, but did you know you could also rice broccoli? Riced broccoli is simply broccoli that has been finely chopped to resemble pieces of rice. Ricing broccoli is just as easy as ricing cauliflower and the combination of the two give this salad 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 riced broccoli and cauliflower 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.
More riced cauliflower recipes:
Broccoli Cauliflower Rice
These fresh lettuce cups are piled high with a lemony and herb-filled broccoli cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
- 1 small head of broccoli, separated into florets
- 1 small head of cauliflower, 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
- ¼ 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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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 96Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Hazel says
Are the cauliflower and broccoli cooked or raw?
Sylvie says
Both are raw.
Tina says
Very tasty and easy to make! I needed a little more dressing so I just added a garlic/olive oil one I had. I also just used almond slivers that I browned on the stove. Very good!