Cauliflower lentil salad is a delicious and easy Mediterranean-inspired recipe to add to your lentil salad repertoire.
Packed with bold flavors and wholesome ingredients, this salad, paired with some pita bread, is excellent for a quick lunch or a healthy dinner.
You can make it with roasted cauliflower, lentils, parsley, and a Moroccan-inspired cumin and lemon dressing.
Table of Contents
Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.
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What is Cauliflower Lentil Salad?
Cauliflower lentil salad is a Mediterranean-flavored vegan salad with tender oven-roasted cauliflower florets, earthy lentils, fresh parsley, and a bold and zesty cumin, lemon, and mustard dressing.
The recipe will remind you of our quinoa lentil salad and sweet potato lentil salad, as it uses the same dressing and fresh herbs, and you can make it in about 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.
Also, like our aromatic Moroccan carrot salad and carrot lentil salad, you can serve cauliflower lentil salad warm or at room temperature.
It is excellent for making ahead; you can use it for meal prep, a quick lunch, or a healthy dinner, and bring it to potluck gatherings and picnics.
As you’ve seen in our easy lentil salad, cauliflower salad, and lentil tabbouleh, both lentils and cauliflower lend themselves well to salads.
They are wholesome, packed with fiber and healthy plant protein. They are affordable and keep well for days.
Pair them with warm pita bread, a dollop of Greek-style yogurt (also non-dairy) or yogurt tahini sauce, and some quick pickled red onions, and you’ve got yourself a beautiful meal.
Cauliflower lentil salad video
Ingredients and Substitutions for Cauliflower Lentil Salad
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Cauliflower
Cut a large cauliflower head into small florets and roast it in the oven or the air fryer with a drizzle of olive oil, a hefty pinch of salt, and a twist of black pepper.
Roasted cauliflower is beautifully tender, slightly charred, almost meaty, and delicious!
We recommend using fresh cauliflower for this recipe, as frozen cauliflower tends to get too soft for salads.
Lentils
You can use canned lentils or dry lentils that you previously cooked in lightly salted boiling water for 15 to 45 minutes or until tender but with a slight bite.
You can use brown lentils, green lentils, black lentils, or French lentils.
Avoid split red lentils as they lose their shape quickly and are not ideal in salads.
Here’s everything to know about how to cook lentils and how to cook black lentils.
Substitute chickpeas, black beans, or white cannellini beans for lentils.
Nuts
Cauliflower and nuts go well together. You can add toasted almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and pistachios.
You can toast the nuts on a pan for a few minutes, moving them around often, or bake them in the oven at 340°F or 170°C for 6 to 8 minutes.
Parsley
Fresh flat-leaf parsley is a staple in Mediterranean cooking and an essential ingredient in this cauliflower lentil salad.
Substitute dill, chives, cilantro, and even green onions for the parsley.
Cumin Mustard Dressing
This dressing is bold, tangy, and creamy enough to hug the lentils and cauliflower perfectly and make them super flavorful. You’ll need:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice: substitute apple cider vinegar, lime juice, or red wine vinegar.
- Ground cumin
- Paprika
- American mustard: substitute Dijon mustard.
- Grated garlic: substitute garlic powder.
- Red pepper flakes or chili powder
- Salt
- Black pepper
How to Make Cauliflower Lentil Salad
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
1. Roast the cauliflower
Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C.
Wash the cauliflower head, pat it dry, separate the florets, and transfer them onto a baking tray.
Season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, two pinches of salt, and two twists of black pepper.
Toss well and arrange on a single layer without overlapping.
Roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the florets are slightly charred and fork-tender but not overcooked.
2. Make the dressing
In the meantime, make the dressing by whisking extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, mustard, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
Tip: you can also add everything to a small mason jar, close it, and shake it well.
3. Build the salad
To a large mixing bowl, add the roasted cauliflower, drained and rinsed canned lentils (or cooked lentils), a handful of nuts, chopped parsley, and the dressing.
Mix well until the ingredients are combined, taste, and adjust for salt, then serve in the same bowl or on a serving platter with some more parsley and nuts sprinkled on top.
Serving Suggestions
This cauliflower lentil salad can be a starter with other Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern small dishes. It’s delicious with:
- Baba ganoush
- Hummus
- Zaalouk (Moroccan eggplant salad)
- Avocado spread
- Tomato Bruschetta
- Tabbouleh
- Shirazi salad
- Moroccan carrot salad
- Tzatziki sauce
- Pita bread
- Yogurt tahini sauce
Alternatively, you can have a larger portion of the salad for lunch.
We love mixing in some pasta, such as rotini or fusilli, and turning it into a delicious cauliflower and lentil pasta salad.
You can make it ahead and bring it in an airtight container for a work lunch, picnic, or potluck.
We recommend eating this salad slightly warm or at room temperature.
Variations
Creamy Cauliflower Salad
A tasty, nutritious, and fulfilling roasted cauliflower salad with chickpeas and tahini sauce.
Check out our creamy roasted cauliflower salad recipe.
Quinoa lentil salad
Protein-packed, nutritious, and incredibly flavorful, you’ll love this lentil quinoa salad with roasted sweet potatoes and mustard dressing.
Check out our quinoa lentil salad recipe.
Carrot Lentil Salad
This Moroccan-inspired carrot lentil salad has a similar cumin dressing that coats the warm carrots and lentils.
Serve it as an appetizer or side dish; this recipe will impress with its simplicity and bold flavors.
Check out our carrot salad recipe.
Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
Inspired by our carrot lentil salad, this sweet potato lentil salad recipe is a winner because it’s loaded with nutritious and wholesome ingredients that will make you feel amazing and satiated for hours.
Check out our lentil sweet potato salad recipe.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Cauliflower lentil salad is excellent for meal prep as it keeps well for days. The next day, it will be even more flavorful as the ingredients have time to meld.
Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. After the second day, you might want to add more dressing as the salad will dry up a little.
We recommend taking the salad out of the refrigerator 15 to 30 minutes before eating it or warming it in the microwave for a short minute.
Freezer: Not suitable for freezing.
More Salad Recipes
- Greek chickpea salad
- Black bean salad
- Creamy pasta salad
- Couscous salad
- Chickpea quinoa salad
- Fennel and orange salad
- Tofu salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Tomato salad
- Sweet potato salad
For more ideas, have a peek at our 45 best salad recipes.
More Lentil Recipes
- Mujadara (Lentil and Rice)
- Lentil vegetable soup
- Lentil soup
- Turkish lentil soup
- Moroccan lentil soup
- Lentil chili
- Lentil loaf
- Lentil pasta
- Lentil curry
- Curry lentil soup
For even more ideas, check out our 25 best lentil recipes.
Cauliflower Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower about 2½ pounds or 1.2 kg
- 1 can (15 ounces) lentils or 1 ⅓ cups cooked lentils or ⅔ cup dry lentils
- 4 tablespoons parsley chopped
- ¼ cup toasted nuts almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts or 2 tablespoons pine nuts
FOR THE DRESSING
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or more to taste
- 1½ tablespoons mustard American or Dijon
- 1 small clove garlic grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or red pepper flakes
Instructions
- CAULIFLOWER: Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C.Wash 1 large cauliflower, pat it dry, separate the florets, and transfer on a baking tray.Season with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, two pinches of salt, and two twists of black pepper.Toss and arrange on a single layer without overlapping.
- Roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until the florets are slightly charred and fork-tender but not overcooked.
- DRESSING: In the meantime, make the dressing by whisking 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1½ tablespoons mustard, 1 small clove garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper.
- BUILD SALAD: To a large bowl, add roasted cauliflower, 1 can (15 ounces) lentils (drained and rinsed), ¼ cup toasted nuts, 4 tablespoons parsley (chopped), and the dressing.Mix well until the ingredients are combined, taste, and adjust for salt before serving.
- MAKE IT A MEAL: Cauliflower lentil salad is delicious with a dollop of Greek-style yogurt or yogurt tahini sauce, quick pickled red onions, and warm pita bread.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi Nico,
There is mustard 1 and half tablespoons in the recipe, but not on the video…Help!
Hi Julie,
Well spotted, thank you so much! We need to re-shoot the video, it is now on our to do list.
For now, please include the mustard – it makes everything better 😉
I hope that helps. All the best,
Nico & Louise
I just recently became a vegetarian and needed some recipes. I like cauliflower and lentils so I decided to try this recipe. I love it! I gave some to a coworker who is a vegan and she wants the recipe. My sister loved it too and wants the recipe. Excited to try more of your recipes.
Fantastic, Rachel, I’m delighted to hear 🎉
Thanks very much for your support and for taking the time to leave a rating here. All the best,
Louise
I love this! And the dressing that goes with this goes with lots of other stuff as well. I have been putting it on everything! Thanks.
Fantastic, I’m so happy to hear 🙂
Thank you for leaving a comment and a rating ❤️
Kindest, Louise
Thank you Nico and Louise…this salad is wonderful! I just made it this morning and I couldn’t wait to taste it. SOOO DELICIOUS!
Hi Trudy!
I’m so delighted that you liked the cauliflower salad.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment.
Kindest,
Louise
Absolutely delicious!
YAY! I’m happy you liked it, Juanita. Personally, this is one of my absolute favorite ways of eating cauliflower.
Have a great week! Kindest,
Louise