• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About

Betty Eatz

Home » Vegetables

November 9, 2022

Cauliflower Salad

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Cauliflower Salad

Cauliflower Salad looking purty and ready for the buffet table.

Warm salads should be a thing. There aren’t enough of them in this world. Cauliflower Salad can be served warm or at room temp, making it a perfect dish for buffets, potlucks, and your Thanksgiving table.

Plus, it makes the vegans, vegetarians, and even the carnivores in your life happy.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is kind of the tofu of the vegetable world. It is pretty bland on it’s own but it plays well with all kinds of flavors, spices, and other veggies. Think of it as an empty page waiting to be written upon.

So, are you surprised then that cauliflower is the star of the show in this recipe? I was.

Head of cauliflower, onion, pomegranate, kumquats, and fresh herbs.

But! If you’ve been paying attention to the food world, you’ve most likely seen cauliflower crust pizza, cauliflower rice, and cauliflower mash. Is there anything cauliflower can’t do?

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Simple. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi keeps it simple while also taking it to the next level by combining roasted and raw cauliflower together in the same dish. Genius and delicious.

Pomegranate

Another fresh item that has skyrocketed in food world popularity over the past decade: pomegranates. Their leathery burgundy skin covers a web of spongy whiteness that houses the red, jewel-like seeds. A symbolic fruit in the ancient world, pomegranates appear regularly in the history of ancient Egypt, the Bible’s Old Testament, and Greek mythology.

Fun fact: when I was a girl I named one of my baby dolls Persephone.

Juicy pomegranates hanging on a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g.

It’s easy to find fresh pomegranates at most grocery stores in the fall months. Now, you can also buy small containers of just the arils (seeds) and bottles of the juice. That was unheard of in the days when I was still toting around my Persephone.

Pomegranate seeds are like fruit jewelry. They make a pretty garnish for both savory and sweet dishes. They are gorgeous on yogurt, oatmeal, chicken and fish dishes, desserts, and salads like the one featured here.

Roasted and riced cauliflower, plus pom seeds and chopped herbs.

Lessons Learned

  • Don’t overcook the florets. You want them tender but not mushy. Nice brown edges are a plus.
  • The original recipe includes roasting the cauliflower’s green leaves. They develop a crisp edge when roasted. But depending on the head you buy, there may not be leafy leaves to roast.
  • Weirded out by the kumquats or can’t obtain them? Leave them out. The salad is still delicious without them.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi for the cauliflower salad recipe and to Zeynep Aciktepe on Unsplash for the pomegranate tree photo.

Close-up of the prepared salad.
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Cauliflower Salad looking purty and ready for the buffet table.

Cauliflower Salad

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: Betty
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

  • 1 large cauliflower
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup mint, chopped
  • ½ cup pomegranate arils
  • Handful of kumquats, sliced into halves

Vinaigrette:

  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper


Instructions

  1. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425 F/218 C.
  2. Make the roasted cauliflower by dividing the cauliflower head into thirds. Break two-thirds into bite-size florets. Add the florets and the onion to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with some salt. Roast for 20 minutes until tender and starting to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  3. Take the remaining one-third of the cauliflower and grate it on a box grater or food processor until it resembles rice. Add the cooled roasted cauliflower, parsley, and mint.
  4. Make the vinaigrette by combining the lemon juice, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake to thoroughly combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the cauliflower mixture and toss to combine.
  5. Place the mixture on a platter or in a shallow serving bowl. Scatter the pomegranate arils and kumquat halves over the top before serving. This can be served just warm or at room temperature.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below!

Share a photo of your creation by tagging us @betty_eatz

More Vegetables

  • Slices of Mushroom Loaf.
    Mushroom Loaf
  • A bowl of Vegan Curry.
    Vegan Curry
  • Lentil meatballs with roasted red pepper sauce.
    Lentil Meatballs with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
  • Quick cucumber kimchi.
    Quick Cucumber Kimchi

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

It's me!

Hi, I'm Betty! Welcome to Betty Eatz!

On this site you will find recipes that are simple, fresh, and a little out of the ordinary. Take a look around, cook from a few, and say hi in the comments.

More about me →

Popular

  • Pork chops with figs and thyme.
    Pork Chops with Figs and Thyme

  • Vanilla latte pie.
    Vanilla Latte Pie

  • Cherry whiskey sour.
    Cherry Whiskey Sour

  • Nutty noodles with shrimp.
    Nutty Noodles with Shrimp

Recent Posts

  • Pork Chops with Figs and Thyme
  • Vanilla Latte Pie
  • Cherry Whiskey Sour
  • Mushroom Loaf
  • Nutty Noodles with Shrimp

Recent Comments

  1. Betty on Vegan Triple Coconut Cake
  2. Annaliza on Vegan Triple Coconut Cake
  3. Betty on Pasta with Preserved Lemon Alfredo
  4. susan on Pasta with Preserved Lemon Alfredo
  5. Betty on Salmon Wellington

Archives

  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022

Categories

  • Bread
  • Breakfast
  • Cocktails
  • Dressings, Jams, Sauces
  • Meat
  • Pasta, Rice, and Grains
  • Pizza and Flatbread
  • Salads
  • Snacks
  • Soups and Stews
  • Sweets
  • Vegetables

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 Betty Eatz