This raw summer salad cauliflower rice is so easy and quick to make. It's tossed with fresh basil and mint, add the comfort of a mango and the crunchiness of nut, to make this cauliflower rice healthy and delicious. Enjoy a light meal that's full of healthy nutrients.
Wondering what to eat when it's too hot out there? Do you want it very simple without sacrificing the taste? Here you go, a plate of summer salad cauliflower rice...
It's a hot summer over here, and in most places too. Getting to cook healthy meals becomes challenging as you feel tired out of the scorching heat. While roasting becomes almost an option that you don't want to consider, you might mostly be tempted to eat out or grab a takeaway.
I don't know if you've ever noticed this, but it's during summer that people eat a lot of junk food or unhealthy food for that matter. It's pizza, tacos, Mc Donald season.
The irony of this is, during spring everyone is slimming down looking forward to fitting in their bikinis and those beautiful flowery summer dresses.
Here's the deal, you take the take away for lunch, and choose a healthier option like omitting the sauces. But let's make easy and simple cauliflower rice for dinner.
This summer salad with cauliflower rice is just the perfect bet when it comes to eating raw salad. Did I say RAW!! yes but believe me you'll not realize that the cauliflower rice here is raw.
To make this cauliflower rice recipe you'll need to make the cauliflower rice first, it's easy and quick if you have a food processor.
How to make cauliflower rice without a food processor
Even though I've a food processor, I've never used it to make my cauliflower rice. I like using a vegetable peeler, even if it might not be as fast as using a food processor, you'll have less cleaning to do.
- Clean and cut your cauliflower head and hold the peeler as if you were to peel a veggie. Hold the cauliflower on top of a large bowl and scrape it.
- Once you've had the amount needed keep the remaining florets for future use, in a soup or in making a cauliflower sauce. the cauliflower core and stems can be used to make homemade vegetable broth.
- Now that you have your cauliflower rice ready go ahead and assemble your summer salad cauliflower rice.
Assembling summer salad cauliflower rice
I wanted this salad to remain simple, very simple that most of the ingredients are readily available in your local store or I bet you've got some in your pantry.
- Few and simple ingredients don't mean sacrificing on flavors lol, make use of your seasoning to spicy up your cauliflower rice.
- I used a sharp knife to chop roughly the nuts, here I've almonds and hazelnut, but you can pulse them in your blender, especially if you feel pain in your joints.
- Feel free to substitute or omit them, though they enhance the nutritional value by adding proteins and they also add the crunchy texture in this salad
- This summer salad has fresh mint, chives, and basil. You can use cilantro and/or parsley and other herbs of your choice.
- I seasoned by sprinkling some sweet paprika and just a little cayenne pepper since there's already fresh chili. Don't overdo it if you don't like hot spiced food.
- I folded everything with a light sauce that I made by whisking olive oil, salt, lemon, mango nectar, and yogurt. The yogurt and nectar add the creamy flavor especially with the absence of avocado.
What are the benefits of cauliflower rice recipe?
- Cauliflower is loaded with vitamin C, and because vitamin C is water-soluble, eating raw cauliflower will give you more of this vitamin.
- Cauliflower is also a good sauce of vitamin K, which modifies some proteins which then intervene in blood coagulation.
- Studies indicate that mango has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, ant--allergic, anti-tumor, and gastroprotective properties among others due to its antioxidants.
- Mango will provide you with fiber, vitamin A, B6, and Folate, C
- Basil is known to be anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic. It's a good source of vitamin A, C, and K as well as minerals like Calcium and Iron.
- Garlic will stimulate white blood cells as well as protect you against bacteria, yeast, fungi and virus infections, while it offers you Potassium, Zinc, and Sulfur.
- Fresh mint leaves are the lady of honor in this summer salad, it entertains your tastebuds in each bite adding a whole dimension in this summer cauliflower salad.
- Mint is a good source of Vitamin A, Iron, and Manganese together with antioxidants.
So to sum up this salad is a powerhouse of vitamin A, C, and Iron. An almost must-have salad when you are fighting inflammatory, cancer, and anemia.
Lot's of kisses from me and remember, it's a tiny change that brings a huge impact.
Love you, GITHU.
Get some more healthy salad
- Smoky cauliflower potato salad
- Extra delicious steamed cauliflower
- Crunchy apple salad with celery & avocado
- Mung bean healthy salad
- A kale salad recipe with sun-dried tomatoes
- Avocado cucumber salad with melon
Recipe
Summer salad cauliflower rice
Equipment
- large bowl
- Sharp knife
- Vegetable peeler or a food processor
Ingredients
Summer Cauliflower Rice Salad
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small piece ginger
- 1 fresh chili
- 1 cup roughly chopped mint and chives
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup roughly chopped almonds and hazelnuts
- 1 cup raw cauliflower rice
- pinch of salt, cayenne pepper, and sweet paprika
- 1 cup fresh mango
sauce
- 1 lemon
- 1 tin plain yogurt (I use soy)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
cauliflower rice salad
- Mince the garlic, ginger, red onion finely and put them in a small bowl
- chop the mint and chives, set them aside in another small bowl
- Roughly chop the nuts, keep them aside
- Slice and cut the mango into small cubes, keep them aside
- Clean and scrape the cauliflower head using a veggie peeler, (I had a very small cauliflower head) so divide yours if it's big. Add the "rice" in a salad bowl
- Slice the chili, remove the seeds if you don't like too hot spiced food like me lol. Add it to the cauliflower
- Pick basil leaves from the branches, don't cut them especially not with a knife. You can use your hands to tear them into pieces.
- Bring all the above ingredients into the bowl with the cauliflower.
Make the sauce
- If your mango is very ripe, press the remaining fresh on the seed using your hand in a small bowl to get the nectar
- Add the oil, the yogurt
- Sprinkle with salt
- whisk together to make a sauce.
Assemble the summer cauliflower rice salad
- Pour the sauce on the salad
- Now mix gently everything together
- Taste to adjust the seasoning
- You can enjoy this salad right away or you can prepare it in advance to be served later. Just cover well and store in your fridge. Remove 10-15mins before serving.
- Enjoy your summer cauliflower rice salad, don't forget to share, please.
Reynaldo R
It looks delicious π Iβm going to make it this week, I need to loose some fat. Thank you .
Githu
Hi Reynaldo, glad to meet you here. This summer cauliflower rice salad will definitely be part of your weight loss journey, all my support. Blessings to you Reynaldo.
Julie
Oh my gosh I canβt wait to try this!! π Thank you
Githu
Julie, thank you so much for being here, I hope you'll love this recipe. Blessings to you Julie
Candice
OHHHH I have a bag of frozen cauliflower rice waiting to be used! This made me hungry! I love salads without lettuce so this is perfect!
Githu
Candice, you made me laugh, thank you so much. I hope the recipe comes out well, I have not tried with frozen cauliflower, tell me more... blessings to you Candice.
Ting
that looks so healthy and delicious at the same time. I love the colour, it's so appetizing!
Githu
Hi Ting, thank you so much. I appreciate your visit here. Many blessings Ting.
Amanda
I am adding this to my new recipes to try next week. Looks so yummy!
Githu
Amanda, you lifted my spirits, thank you. Blessings to you.
Prakhar Kasera
This is really looking very delicious to me. I am gonna try this tonight only.
Githu
Prakhar, I hope this salad came out well and that you enjoyed it. Thank you for being here. Blessings to you Prakhar.
Cyndi
This looks so yummy and healthy! I love all of the colors!
Githu
Hi Cyndi, glad to meet you, thank you so much. I hope you'll try the recipe one day. Be blessed Cyndi.
Joanna
This salad sounds so delicious! I never had cauliflower raw before, or in a cold salad, I always fry it first.
Githu
Hi Joanna, glad to read from you again. The sweet mango and almonds will hide that raw part of cauliflower, the sauce is great too and I bet you'll adopt this recipe... many blessings to you Joanna.
Candle
Cauliflower is my new favorite vegetable. Once I had a pizza with cauliflower crust I was in heaven. So now I'm on a mission to find anything I can eat with this new love.
Githu
Candle you make me laugh. I hope this recipe will keep that cauliflower love growing. Be blessed Candle.
Shelley at BeyondPennies
I never realized how versatile cauliflower was until recently. Now I eat it all the time. I will definitely try this recipe!
Githu
Shelley hi, I too, It took me long before eating cauliflower, now I am always checking out for the season. I am sure you'll love this recipe.. Blessings to you Shelley.
The handy journal
looks really delicious and health at the same time. will try it for sure soon ! thanks for sharing!
Githu
Handy journal, thank you for stopping by. I am glad that you'll try out this recipe. Be blessed.
Vasundhra
This genuinely looks DELICIOUS! I'm going to try this out!
Githu
Vasundhra, welcome back, thank you so much. I am glad that you like this recipe, looking forward to your comment on how it came out...blessings to you Vasundhra.
Dominique
This looks really tasty! I have saved the recipe to try this summer/ I think I am going to use the food processor though LOL
Githu
Thank Dominique, oh yes! a food processor will definitely be easy and quick lol. I hope you'll love this recipe, let me know then... Beautiful day, and many blessings Dominique.
Hackytips
I once tried cauliflower rice but didn't like ut. But that was a different recipe. Will try this and see how it comes π