Roasted Asparagus Cauliflower Salad
on Apr 10, 2026
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Made with late winter – early spring vegetables, this roasted asparagus cauliflower salad is the perfect way to transition the seasons. It has baby arugula, almonds, goat cheese and fresh herbs, all tossed in lemon vinaigrette. Enjoy it as a lunch salad or a side dish with a vegetarian main when you want more veggies.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This early spring salad combines the best of winter/spring produce. I think we’re in the toughest seasonal transition. It’s jarring to go from cold weather hearty veggies to spring greens.
You can roast the cauliflower and asparagus on the same sheet pan. Just because these vegetables have different cook times, doesn’t mean you have to complicate things with more cleanup later. I start the cauliflower in the oven and then add the asparagus later.
This salad goes big on vegetables and is less about leafy greens. As a salad person, I am always looking for more variety. Rather than starting with lettuce, I shine the spotlight on veggies.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Asparagus: Look for stalks that are similar in diameter. Then they will roast in the same amount of time. The freshest asparagus will snap when you try to bend it and have closed buds at the crown.
- Cauliflower: I like slicing a head of cauliflower because those flat sides make contact with the pan and brown nicely.
- Arugula is a delicate lettuce with peppery flavor. You can substitute with spinach or use a mix of both.
- Red onions: By finely chopping the onions, they end up well distributed throughout this roasted asparagus salad and you get that sharp accent in each bite.
- Almonds add their nutty flavor, which works perfectly with the fresh lemon and roasted vegetables.
- Goat cheese is creamy and tangy, and to me, says spring. You can substitute with crumbled feta.
Parsley: I finish the salad with chopped fresh herbs to round out the ingredients and to go with the theme of all things spring and green. - Lemon vinaigrette is zesty and bright with minced garlic, whole grain mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
How To Make This Roasted Asparagus Cauliflower Salad
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. (You don’t need to line the pan)
1. Roast the vegetables. Toss the cauliflower with oil, salt and pepper, and give it 20 minutes to roast and brown on one side. After that, flip over the cauliflower and add the asparagus to the pan. Give the veggies another 8-10 minutes to finish roasting.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, stir the garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and oil.
3. Combine the salad ingredients in a big bowl. That includes the roasted asparagus and cauliflower, arugula, red onions, almonds, goat cheese and parsley.
4. Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad. Then toss everything together.
Serving
You can serve this recipe as a lunch salad as written or stir in quinoa, couscous or barley. It also can be as a side dish paired with this oven-baked lemon risotto, this simple fresh herb & garlic pappardelle or this spring gnocchi with peas.
Find more salad ideas in my seasonal salad roundup featuring leafy green salads, bean salads and pasta salads.
Roasted Asparagus Cauliflower Salad
Ingredients
For cauliflower and asparagus
- 1 head cauliflower (about 1-1/2 pounds), leaves removed, bottom stem trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices and broken into 1 to 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch-long pieces
For vinaigrette
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
For salad
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
- 1/4 cup chopped unsalted roasted almonds
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the cauliflower with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper on a sheet pan and spread into a single layer.
- Roast for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is browned on the edges. Flip it over and add the asparagus to the pan in between the cauliflower. Continue roasting for 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower has browned more and the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, lemon juice and 1/4 cup olive oil in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower and asparagus, arugula, red onions, almonds, goat cheese and chopped parsley.
- Drizzle the dressing into the salad, tossing to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
