Roasted Cauliflower Salad
This roasted cauliflower salad is bursting with flavors with a combination of fragrant middle-eastern spices with tangy tahini lemon dressing and crispy nuts and seeds.A nutritious salad to enjoy for a light lunch or to share with friends on a picnic or barbecue.
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 medium head Cauliflower - broken into florets
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Paprika
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
Tahini Lemon Dressing
- ⅓ cup Tahini Paste
- ¼ cup Lemon Juice
- ¼ cup Water - to thin the sauce
- ½ tsp Cumin
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- ½ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Pepper
For the Salad
- 1 cup Baby Spinach Leaves
- ½ cup Almonds - Chopped roasted or sliced almonds
- ¼ cup Sunflower Seeds - roasted
- ½ cup Parsley - fresh chopped
- 8 Cherry Tomato - halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut the cauliflower head into small florets.
- Place the cauliflower florets on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil and season with cumin, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Toss all the ingredients together to cover the florets evenly with the oil and spices.
- Roast for 15 minutes in the center of the oven. After 15 minutes, open the oven and stir the florets with an oven-proof spatula.
- Return in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are tender and browned on the outside.
- Remove from the oven and cool down for 10-15 minutes before assembling with the rest of the ingredients. If the florets are too hot, they may wilt the spinach leaves. You can serve the salad with lukewarm or cold roasted cauliflower. Both taste amazing.
- Meanwhile, prepare the tahini lemon dressing.
TAHINI LEMON DRESSING:
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the following ingredients: tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. If the dressing is too thick to your liking, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your favorite dressing consistency.
HOW TO SERVE:
- In a large salad bowl or platter, add the baby spinach leaves, lukewarm or cold roasted cauliflower, halved cherry tomatoes, roasted sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds.
- Immediately drizzle the tahini lemon dressing over the salad.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley on top and toss a few times to combine the flavors.
- Serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.
- Store the salad in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or on a salad bowl sealed with a silicone lid.
Notes
Make-ahead tips
- Dressing can be made 24 hours before and store in a glass mason jar in the fridge. It will thicken in the fridge, so you may need to whisk in an extra splash of water to thin the dressing before serving.
- You can roast the cauliflower the day before, store in the fridge and serve it cold or rewarm in a saucepan for few minutes before assembling the salad.
- Always assemble the salad just before serving, especially if you serve the cauliflower lukewarm. This will avoid the baby spinach to wilted.