Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Salads can definitely be part of your diet in the winter. It's just about finding something hearty and warming to top the lettuce with and this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with roasted chickpeas definitely ticks all the boxes. Roasted to crispy perfection in an easy spice blend and then tossed with a zesty lemon salad - great for feeding a crowd too.

There are probably not many people out there that can say that cauliflower is their favourite food in the world, but I am a firm believer that roasting it totally changes the flavour - for the better. It takes on herbs and spices really well when coated in a little olive oil and it gets perfectly crispy when roasted.

Roasted cauliflower is a delicious vegan and gluten free salad topping in winter time. Even when roasted it has a hint of creaminess to it with every bite. If you are really not a fan of cauliflower, then you could roast some broccoli instead to top this salad.

Why should you try it?

Ingredients

• Half a head of cauliflower, chopped
• Half a tin of drained chickpeas (120g)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 0.5 tsp paprika
• A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
• 0.5 tsp cumin
• 0.5 tsp dried parsley
• 2 handfuls of butterhead lettuce
• 2 handfuls of rocket (arugula) lettuce
• Half an avocado, sliced
• Half a small red onion, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp sumac

Step by step

One: Put the cauliflower florets and drained chickpeas in to a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and dried parsley and toss the cauliflower so it is coated. Spread evenly on to a baking sheet.
Two: Put in a preheated oven at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 20 minutes.
Three: In a large bowl, add the lettuce, avocado, red onion, rest of the olive oil, some salt and pepper, lemon juice and sumac and mix well.
Four: Divide the lettuce mixture in to two bowls and then top with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas.

What else to add

We didn't want to just have cauliflower as a topping, as there needed to be a bit of a protein boost. Keeping it vegan we went with chickpeas and we all know they are best when roasted too. Have you tried snacking on our Roasted Chickpeas?

You can just throw them on the baking tray with the cauliflower and roast them all at the same time in the same spices. Not got any chickpeas? Swap them for another canned bean, or even some sweetcorn.

Vegan salad

Vegan salads are far from boring, and can be just as filling too. The roasted cauliflower and chickpeas that top this salad are really hearty and filling, but you could always sprinkle with some nuts and seeds on top if you want something extra.

If you aren't vegan, then I would highly recommend crumbling some feta over this salad just before serving. Feta and cauliflower go really well together. Add some extra colour with a sprinkle of pomegranate too. 

Salad dressing

I always think a simple, quick and easy olive oil and lemon juice dressing is the way to go for a light salad. We added some sumac to it as well, as it has a lemon flavour that just boosts the flavour from the lemon juice.

If you wanted a creamier dressing, then mix a tablespoon of tahini in to the lettuce. Creaminess and still keeps it vegan. I sometimes like to top the salad with a dollop of homemade hummus too.

Extra tips

• This salad is vegan, but if you aren't vegan then some crumbled feta on top is a good addition.
• You can use any seasoning you like on the cauliflower and chickpeas. A curry powder blend is a nice alternative.
• Not a fan of cauliflower or chickpeas? You can swap the cauliflower for broccoli and the chickpeas for another bean (but it won't get as crispy).
• Make the dressing creamy by adding a tbsp of tahini to it. Or, you could add a spoonful of homemade hummus before serving.

More Cauliflower recipes

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Recipe card

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Roasted to perfection in an easy spice blend and then tossed with a zesty lemon salad, this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with chickpeas ticks all the boxes.

Vegan

5 from 15 votes

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Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 352kcal

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Ingredients

UK measures - US measures

• ▢ 0.5 cauliflower chopped
• ▢ 120 g chickpeas tinned, drained
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 0.5 tsp paprika
• ▢ 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
• ▢ 0.5 tsp cumin
• ▢ 0.5 tsp dried parsley
• ▢ 100 g butterhead lettuce
• ▢ 50 g rocket lettuce (arugula)
• ▢ 0.5 avocado sliced
• ▢ 0.5 red onion thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 lemon juice only
• ▢ 2 tbsp sumac

Instructions

• Put the cauliflower and drained chickpeas in to a large bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin and dried parsley and toss so it is coated. Spread evenly on to a baking tray.
• Put in a preheated oven at 190C for 20 minutes.
• In a large bowl, add the lettuce, avocado, red onion, rest of the olive oil, some salt and pepper, lemon juice and sumac and mix well.
• Divide the lettuce mixture in to two bowls and then top with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas.

Notes

• This salad is vegan, but if you aren't vegan then some crumbled feta on top is a good addition.
• You can use any seasoning you like on the cauliflower and chickpeas. A curry powder blend is a nice alternative.
• Not a fan of cauliflower or chickpeas? You can swap the cauliflower for broccoli and the chickpeas for another bean (but it won't get as crispy).
• Make the dressing creamy by adding a tbsp of tahini to it. Or, you could add a spoonful of homemade hummus before serving.

Nutritional Information

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 1174mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2605IU | Vitamin C: 111.4mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 4.4mg

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DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.