Cauliflower Salad

The salad is easy to prepare, and you can make it in the time it takes to roast the cauliflower.

Our tip? Add a can of chickpeas on the same baking tray and season with a teaspoon of cumin.

The nuttiness of roasted chickpeas and the tender-crisp cauliflower paired with the cumin aroma make this cauliflower salad recipe irresistible!

Uh, don’t forget to toss everything with a creamy tahini sauce and plenty of fresh lemon juice. They are the perfect flavor-match with roasted cauliflower.

Cauliflower

Pick a large fresh cauliflower head.

Frozen cauliflower can be used, but it is not the best for this recipe because it gets too soft for our taste.

You’ll need extra virgin olive oil, salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and garlic to roast the cauliflower.

Chickpeas

You can use drained and rinsed canned chickpeas or dry chickpeas that you cook at home.

We roast the chickpeas with the cauliflower to make them a little crisp and extra tasty.

For dry chickpeas, soak them for 8 to 12 hours in plenty of water with a teaspoon of salt.

Then, change the water and boil them for about 1 to 2 hours or until tender.

Substitute cannellini beans or lentils for chickpeas; they should not be roasted though.

Parsley

We use fresh flat-leaf parsley, which is the variety people use in Mediterranean countries.

You can also use fresh dill, chives, coriander, or mint leaves.

Fresh lemon juice

Lots of it! Adjust based on your taste, of course.

Tahini Sauce

You’ll need tahini, freshly squeezed lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt, and water.

Note: The quality of your tahini will make all the difference here. Try to get one made with 100% hulled sesame seeds. It should be runny, not thick like a paste, and have a light color. Ideally, tahini should come from a country like Lebanon or Palestine. We find that those are the best!

Garnish & Add-Ins

To garnish, pick one or two ingredients from:

• Pomegranate seeds
• Toasted shaved almonds
• Toasted pinenuts
• Crushed walnuts
• Pomegranate molasses.
• Pickled red onions.

These are some of our favorite add-ins:

• Diced cherry tomatoes
• Diced red bell peppers
• Chopped olives.
• Chopped spinach.

Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Cut the cauliflower into florets with a paring knife and add them to a baking sheet.

Add drained and rinsed canned chickpeas and crushed garlic, then season with extra virgin olive oil, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and black pepper.

Toss, arrange on a single layer, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the cauliflower is tender-crisp and slightly charred.

While the cauliflower roasts make the tahini sauce.

Add tahini, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a peeled and crushed garlic clove, water, and salt to a small bowl.

Whisk until the ingredients turn creamy.

Add the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas to a large mixing bowl.

Add the tahini sauce, the juice of at least 1 squeezed lemon (add more to taste), and chopped parsley.

Toss well, then garnish with pomegranate seeds and a sprinkle of parsley.

Cauliflower and tomato salad

Mix in halved cherry or plum tomatoes, sprinkle with toasted pinenuts and enjoy this delicious recipe.

Cauliflower lentil salad

Cauliflower lentil salad is another Mediterranean-inspired salad we make with roasted cauliflower and lentils.

In this recipe, we use a fresh and bright dressing we make with ground cumin, freshly squeezed lemon, minced garlic, and olive oil.

Check out our cauliflower lentil salad recipe.

You can serve this Mediterranean cauliflower salad as a starter, main dish, or side dish. You can also make it ahead and bring it to potlucks and picnics.

Roasted cauliflower salad is best served at room temperature, so if you store it in the fridge, take it out 15 to 30 minutes before eating.

Our favorite way of serving it is as an appetizer with other delicious Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern recipes. Try making a large platter with some of our:

• Baba ganoush or eggplant salad
• Creamy-dreamy chickpea hummus
• Zaalouk or Moroccan eggplant salad
• Delicious avocado spread
• Tomato bruschetta with basil and garlic
• Tabbouleh salad or Shirazi salad
• Moroccan carrot salad
• Tzatziki sauce

Make ahead: You can make this recipe 3 days in advance; however, on the second day, the dressing might have dried up, so we recommend adding more lemon juice before serving it.

Refrigerator: Store cauliflower salad leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: We do not recommend freezing this recipe.

If you love salads, you might also like some of our other easy salad recipes:

• Carrot salad with crunchy vegetables.
• Chickpea quinoa salad for a boost of plant-based energy to keep you satiated.
• Winter fennel and orange salad as they do in Sicily.
• Healthy and crispy tofu salad with endlessly creamy tahini dressing.
• Green Bean Salad with mustard dressing and red onion.
• Juicy tomato salad with heirloom tomatoes.
• Roasted sweet potato salad with fresh vegetables and feta.
• Crunchy red cabbage slaw with walnuts for a must-eat winter salad.
• Broccoli salad with creamy yogurt mayonnaise dressing.

For many more salad ideas, check out our salads category page.