Roasted Cauliflower Chopped Salad

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It has the best combination of roasted and raw cauliflower. You get caramelized flavors and the crunch of fresh vegetables. 

I’m a big fan of savory salads that have fruit. The apples may not be the main character, but they add a subtle sweetness and bite that balances out the cumin and curry seasoning on the roasted cauliflower.

As a salad fan, I like having options without lettuce. No offense to leafy greens, but they aren’t a requirement to call something a salad. No-lettuce recipes blur the line between side dish and salad, and they make leftovers that stay good longer. 

The Ingredients

This is what you need:

• Cauliflower: Instead of buying cauliflower rice, I quickly chop a head of cauliflower in the food processor. Then I can control the size. I like to have bigger pieces here and there that are closer in size to the diced apples. 
• Apples: A crisp, firm apple is best such as a pink lady or honeycrisp apple.
• Dried spices: I season the portion of cauliflower that I roast with curry powder, cumin, kosher salt and black pepper.
• Scallions add mild green onion flavor. I slice them thinly and use both the white and green parts, so they give the salad some crispness.
• Pistachios: You can use either unsalted or lightly salted pistachios. Roasted or raw are fine depending on your preference and what you have in your pantry.
• Parsley: I also include chopped fresh herbs in the salad because they pair well with the scallions and the rest of the ingredients.
• Lemon tahini dressing: It’s fresh and lightly creamy with tahini, lemon juice, whole grain mustard, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

How To Make This Roasted Cauliflower Chopped Salad

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Chop the cauliflower. The easiest way to do this is in the food processor. Cut the head into pieces, including the florets and stems. In batches, pulse it to the size of rice grains up to 1/4 inch. All of it doesn’t have to be the same.

2. Prep half the cauliflower. Remember, you are roasting only half of it. Toss half the chopped cauliflower with oil, curry powder, cumin, salt and pepper on a sheet pan and spread it into an even layer.

3. Roast the cauliflower. Give it 10 minutes, stir and continue roasting for 10 minutes until it’s golden and lightly browned. 

4. Make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk the garlic, mustard, tahini, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and oil.

5. Assemble the salad. Put the roasted and raw cauliflower, apples, scallions, pistachios and parsley in a big bowl.

6. Drizzle the dressing into the salad. Toss to combine. 

Make-Ahead Tips, Storage & Leftovers

You can make the dressing up to 2 days in advance. Store it a mason jar in the refrigerator. 

If you have leftovers, you can keep them in the fridge up to 3 days. I like to let them sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before I eat them, so the salad isn’t as cold. The apples will brown a little, but they will still taste good.  Because cauliflower is a hearty base, this salad will hold up much better than a salad with lettuce.

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