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Greek Cauliflower Salad – Detoxinista

December 28, 2021

27 6 minutes read

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Cauliflower Salad is tossed with a simple Greek dressing and a great deal of crunchy veggies. It’s the proper make-ahead lunch, and a crowd-pleasing salad that you might serve at a celebration or potluck.

Why You’ll Love It

Roasted cauliflower has a comforting texture and impartial taste that lends itself to quite a lot of recipes. Therefore the recognition of cauliflower pizza, cauliflower tacos, and cauliflower soup!

On this recipe, you’ll roast the cauliflower to present it a extra nice style and texture. Whereas that’s cooking, you possibly can chop the opposite veggies you’ll use and stir collectively a simple Greek salad dressing.

By the point the cauliflower is finished, you possibly can toss all of it collectively for a quick & straightforward meal.

Components You’ll Want

What’s in Cauliflower Salad?

Cauliflower
Purple onion
Tomato
Cucumber
Purple wine vinegar
Olive oil
Garlic
Spices

From there, you possibly can add in any non-obligatory toppings you’re keen on. I understand that olives could be a polarizing ingredient, so add them in case you love them, and I additionally love so as to add a sprinkling of feta cheese to present this salad some creaminess and further tang. Depart off the cheese for a dairy-free choice!

Tip: You possibly can add a tablespoon or two of tahini to this salad dressing, for some dairy-free creaminess.

The best way to Make the Greatest Cauliflower Salad

1. Roast the Cauliflower. Reduce the cauliflower into bite-sized items, then toss it with olive oil. Unfold it out on a big rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle it with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Roast till the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes at 400ºF. Remember that the cauliflower gained’t be as crispy if it’s packed collectively on a baking sheet, so for extra-crispy cauliflower, be happy to make use of 2 giant baking sheets for this quantity of cauliflower, as an alternative.

I don’t thoughts the steamed texture for this recipe, and I favor to not wash one other baking sheet later, however the selection is yours!

2. Make the dressing. Whereas the cauliflower is roasting, add the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to the underside of a big mixing bowl. Whisk it collectively, after which you possibly can chop the veggies and add them to the dressing as you go.

I like to start out with the pink onions, to allow them to sit within the dressing the longest and mellow in taste. Subsequent, you’ll add within the chopped tomatoes and cucumber, and stir properly.

3. Toss all of it collectively! When the cauliflower is finished roasting, let it cool briefly on the pan, about 10 minutes. Then switch it to the bowl of dressing and veggies, and toss properly.

Alter the seasoning to style, including extra salt, as wanted, in addition to any non-obligatory toppings you’re keen on, corresponding to sliced olives and crumbled feta cheese. You possibly can serve this salad immediately, or let it chill within the fridge earlier than serving.

Seasoning observe: While you add the olives and feta cheese, I like so as to add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to this recipe on the finish, however in case you omit both of those substances, you could need to use just a little greater than that to assist punch-up the flavour. Should you ever discover that your salad tastes bland, it’s in all probability since you didn’t use sufficient salt but! However whenever you add different salty issues, like olives and feta, you gained’t want as a lot, so make sure to style and modify as you go.

Storage Ideas

Cauliflower salad could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days, so be happy to make this upfront for a celebration or packed lunch concept.

I don’t advocate freezing it, nevertheless, because the veggies will probably be mushy and watery once they thaw later.

Professional Ideas & Continuously Requested Questions

Can you employ uncooked cauliflower in salad? Should you favor to make a uncooked cauliflower salad, I might advocate making cauliflower rice in a meals processor or blender, so the items will probably be very small and straightforward to chew. This texture will permit the cauliflower to be extra simply coated in dressing, and can give the salad a extra nice mouthfeel.

Can I take advantage of a distinct vinegar? After all! Apple cider vinegar offers you considerably comparable outcomes, and in case you favor to make use of lemon juice, you might use 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to switch the vinegar.

Can I omit the oil? The oil helps the dressing “stick” to the veggies, however you might swap it for a pair tablespoons of tahini or almond butter, as an alternative. Remember to use a nut or seed butter that has no added oil, in case you’re attempting to attain an oil-free recipe. You possibly can dry-roast the cauliflower to maintain it oil-free, or just steam it on the range high as an alternative.

The best way to make it extra filling? You possibly can add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to this recipe, for additional protein and fiber in every chunk! Or, be happy to high it along with your favourite cooked protein, like rooster, fish, or baked tofu.

Can I make it oil-free? Sure. You possibly can dry-roast the cauliflower as an alternative of tossing it in olive oil, or you possibly can steam it on the range high as an alternative. For the dressing, exchange the oil with 2 tablespoons of tahini or almond butter, as an alternative. Remember to use a nut or seed butter with no added oil, to maintain it oil-free.

I hope you’ll take pleasure in this cauliflower salad as a lot as I do!

Greek Cauliflower Salad

Cauliflower Salad is tossed in a simple Greek dressing for a flavorful meal that may go away you craving extra! It is the proper make-ahead meal, in case you want a packed lunch or salad to convey to a celebration.

Key phrase cauliflower salad

2 kilos cauliflower , reduce into bite-sized florets
1/4 cup additional virgin olive oil , divided
salt
2 tablespoons pink wine vinegar
1 garlic clove , minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon floor black pepper
1/2 pink onion , diced (about 1 cup)
12 ounces cherry tomatoes , sliced in half (about 2 cups)
8 ounces cucumber , diced (about 2 cups)
4 ounces feta cheese , crumbled (non-obligatory)
1/2 cup pitted olives , sliced (non-obligatory)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Prepare the cauliflower on a big rimmed baking sheet and drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss properly to coat the cauliflower evenly, then unfold it out in a fair layer and season with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Place the pan within the oven to roast till the cauliflower is fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
Whereas the cauliflower is cooking, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a big mixing bowl, together with the vinegar, garlic, oregano, black pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Combine properly.
Add the diced veggies to the bowl as you chop them, beginning with the pink onion so it’ll have time to marinate within the dressing and mellow in taste. Add within the cherry tomatoes and cucumber subsequent, stirring every time so the veggies can begin choosing up the flavour of the dressing.
When the cauliflower is tender, let it cool for 10 minutes on the pan, then add it to the bowl of dressing and veggies. Toss properly to coat, and add in any non-obligatory toppings you’re keen on, just like the olives and feta cheese. (For a dairy-free dish, merely omit the cheese.) You possibly can serve this immediately, or place it within the fridge to relax till you are able to eat. Leftovers could be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

Diet info is for 1/4 of this recipe, assuming you break up it into 4 servings. This info contains the non-obligatory olives and feta cheese toppings, and is simply an estimate, not a assure.
For a extra filling vegan dish, omit the cheese and add a can of drained & rinsed chickpeas as an alternative.